Bay of Algiers

The Bay of Algiers curves around the city and harbour of Algiers on the North African coast. Its waters gave the city access to the western Mediterranean, while a small island fortress commanded the harbour entrance. In 1529 Hayreddin Barbarossa captured the Spanish-held Peñón and linked it to the shore with a pier, creating a sheltered harbour for the ships of the regency. The new mole changed the relationship between the city and the islands from which its name had been drawn.

In 1541 Charles V brought a great expedition against Algiers. His forces landed, but resistance and a violent storm broke the attempt; many ships were wrecked in the bay. The harbour remained a base for the regency's corsairs, whose voyages made Algiers a formidable presence in the western Mediterranean.