Gulf of Béjaïa

The Gulf of Béjaïa opens along the mountainous coast of the Maghreb, between Cape Carbon and Ras El Aouana. The Soummam River reaches the sea beside Béjaïa, whose harbour connects the gulf with a valley leading inland. In the later Middle Ages the port traded with Christian states and received refugees from al-Andalus, while its rulers at times acted independently of the Hafsids of Tunis.

In 1510 Pedro Navarro captured Béjaïa for Spain. The occupation disrupted its ties with the surrounding country, but Spanish control endured until 1555, when Salah Raïs took the city with support from the Kabyles of Koukou. Béjaïa became part of the Regency of Algiers, while the powers of the surrounding mountains continued to shape the fortunes of the port.