Mostaganem

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title: "Mostaganem" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-algeria", "coastal-cities-in-algeria", "populated-places-in-mostaganem-province", "province-seats-of-algeria"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostaganem" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Mostaganem
native_name	مستغانم
native_name_lang	ar
nickname	Pearl of the Mediterranean
settlement_type	City
imagesize	290px
image_skyline	{{multiple image
total_width	270
border	infobox
perrow	1/3/1/2/1
caption_align	center
image1	El arsa gate.jpg
caption1	El Arsa Park
image2	Mosquée de Tobana.jpg
caption2	Tobana Mosque
image3	Dar el kadi mestghanem.png
caption3	Dar El Kaïd
image4	Dar hamid el abd.jpg
caption4	Dar Hamid El Abdi
image5	Bordj ettork mostaganem.jpg
caption5	Bordj Ettork and Mostaganem Tramway
image6	Mosquee chiekh al alawi mostghanem.jpg
caption6	Zawiya Al-Alawiyya of Mostaganem
image7	Cap du phare ivi mostaganem.png
caption7	Cap Ivi lighthouse
image8	Mostaland parc de loisir.jpg
caption8	Mostaland
image_seal	Coats of arms of Mostaganem.svg
image_map	DZ 27 Mostaganem.svg
mapsize	180
pushpin_map	Algeria
pushpin_label_position	bottom
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Algeria
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1	Mostaganem Province
subdivision_type2	District
subdivision_name2	Mostaganem District
area_total_km2	50
population_as_of	2014 census
population_total	245330
population_density_km2	auto
timezone	CET
utc_offset	+1
coordinates
elevation_m	104
postal_code_type	Postal code
postal_code	27000
::

|official_name = Mostaganem |native_name = مستغانم |native_name_lang = ar |nickname = Pearl of the Mediterranean |settlement_type = City |other_name = |motto = | imagesize = 290px | image_skyline = {{multiple image | total_width = 270 | border = infobox | perrow = 1/3/1/2/1 | caption_align = center | image1 = El arsa gate.jpg | caption1 = El Arsa Park | image2 = Mosquée de Tobana.jpg | caption2 = Tobana Mosque | image3 = Dar el kadi mestghanem.png | caption3 = Dar El Kaïd | image4 = Dar hamid el abd.jpg | caption4 = Dar Hamid El Abdi | image5 = Bordj ettork mostaganem.jpg | caption5 = Bordj Ettork and Mostaganem Tramway | image6 = Mosquee chiekh al alawi mostghanem.jpg | caption6 = Zawiya Al-Alawiyya of Mostaganem | image7 = Cap du phare ivi mostaganem.png | caption7 = Cap Ivi lighthouse | image8 = Mostaland parc de loisir.jpg | caption8 = Mostaland |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = Coats of arms of Mostaganem.svg |seal_size = |image_map = DZ 27 Mostaganem.svg |mapsize = 180 |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Algeria |pushpin_label_position = bottom |pushpin_mapsize = |pushpin_map_caption = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Algeria |subdivision_type1 = Province |subdivision_name1 = Mostaganem Province |subdivision_type2 = District |subdivision_name2 = Mostaganem District |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |established_title = |established_date = |area_magnitude = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = 50 |area_land_km2 = |population_as_of = 2014 census |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = 245330 |population_density_km2 = auto |timezone = CET |utc_offset = +1 |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = 104 |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = Postal code |postal_code = 27000 |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |website = |footnotes =

Mostaganem () is a port city and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century, lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea, and is 72 km ENE of Oran. It is the second-largest city in the country's northwest, after Oran, and Algeria's fourth-largest port city with 406,190 inhabitants as of the 2019 census.

The city was founded in the 11th century as Murustage but has origins going back to Punic and Roman times. In 1516, it was captured by the Ottoman admiral Barbarossa and became a centre for Mediterranean sea corsairs, as well as a commercial port. By 1700, it had come under Ottoman rule. In 1833, the city was taken by France and a garrison established. Algeria became independent in 1962.

Etymology

Mostaganem is said to correspond to the ancient Punic port of Murustaga. It is claimed that after becoming part of the Roman Empire, it was renamed to Cartennae under the emperor Gallienus (253–268). However, according to academics, Cartennae (or Cartenna or Cartennas) is modern Ténès, a town 50 km to the east of Mostaganem. Murustaga is the name by which the town was known when it became a Christian bishopric, and by which it is referred to in the Catholic Church's list of episcopal sees.

History

The town was ruled by the Zirid dynasty between 973 and 1146. Then, it was conquered by the Almoravid dynasty, and reached its high point of power under Yusuf ibn Tashfin (c. 1061–1106). Mostaganem was later ruled by the Zayyanid dynasty of Tlemcen and it was conquered again by the Marinid dynasty of Fes. After that the Zayyanid dynasty took control of the city again. In the 16th century, the town resisted a Spanish invasion and came under the power of the Ottoman Hayreddin Barbarossa.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Mostaganem_CPS_W.658.269b_Fp_DD_300.jpg" caption="The coasts of Mostaganem in Piri Reis's book the ''[[Kitab-ı Bahriye]]''" alt="The coasts of Mostaganem in Piri Reis's book Kitab-ı Bahriye"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Nature_always_finds_it_way_to_you.jpg" caption="date=August 2025}}"] ::

Climate

Mostaganem has a mild Mediterranean climates (Köppen climate classification Csa). In winter there is more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in Mostaganem is 17.9 °C. About 347 mm of precipitation falls annually.

|metric first = Y |single line = Y

| unit precipitation days =1.0mm | precip days colour =

| Jand sun =6.6 | Febd sun =7.6 | Mard sun =7.9 | Aprd sun =8.9 | Mayd sun =9.9 | Jund sun =10.8 | Juld sun =11.5 | Augd sun =10.9 | Sepd sun =9.4 | Octd sun =8.2 | Novd sun =7.4 | Decd sun =6.7 | yeard sun = |source 1 = NOAA (temperatures, precipitation 1991–2020){{cite web |url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Algeria/CSV/Mostaganem_60457.csv |title = Mostaganem Climate Normals for 1991-2020 |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = 9 October 2023 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231009172356/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Algeria/CSV/Mostaganem_60457.csv |archive-date = 9 October 2023 |source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity 1976-1995, sun 1961-1990) |date=18 January 2018}}

Present situation

The city is divided in two by a ravine of the river Aïn Sefra, with the modern town to southwest, and the old Muslim city, Tidgit, to the northeast.

In 2010 a tunnel under the city and towards the city centre is expected to change traffic flow significantly. Also, new buildings, some modern and some in colonial style, are being added to this growing city. The new autoroute from the capital Algiers towards Oran will make it easier also to access Mostaganem by road from the capital, as Mostaganem has no public airport. The road connecting Oran (around 80 km from Mostaganem to the west) will remain the same, a crowded 2 lane in each direction highway.

The port of Mostaganem is being used for unloading of all sorts of cargo, ranging from provisions to cars and pipelines. As in most ports of Algeria, it is not allowed to sailors to exit the port and visit the city. The port is being shared by large transport vessels and fishing boats alike. A new, smaller port for fishing boats has been constructed, but is currently not used.[[File:El Arsa.jpg|thumb|El Arsa]]

Notable people

Mostaganem has given birth to illustrious figures such as playwright Ould Abderrahmane Abdelkader AKA Kaki, cinema director Mohamed Chouikh, historians such as Moulay Belhamissi, and lyricists such as Kadda Medjeded. A major centre of popular and amateur theater, it is home to important specialists of Andalusian classical music (Moulay Benkrizi), Chaabi (Maazouz Bouadjadj, Habib Bettahar), masters of traditional Bedouin music (Sheikh Hamada, Sheikh Djilali Ain Tedeles) and poets such as Sheikh Abdelkader Bentobdji and Sidi Lakhdar Benkhelouf who are authors of well-known qasida of Malhun poetry bequeathed as much to the Chaabi legacy as to Bedouins such as Emir `Abd al-Qādir al-Jazā'irī. The poet Ahlam Mostaghanemi Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi was originally from near Mostaganem.

Furthermore, one of the most notable religious figures of the 20th century was also born and later buried in Mostaganem, the Great Sufi Master, Ahmad al-Alawi, who played a major role in spreading the Shadhili Darqawi tariqa (spiritual order) across the globe, such that this order is now considered one of the world's largest and most influential Sufi paths. Many modern Muslims consider al-Alawi to be one of the "revivers" of Islam in the 20th century due to his role in spreading the religion, and even influencing the West, including opening the first mosque in Paris. Al-Alawi's tomb is now a popular visitation sight in Mostaganem.

Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, French general, was born in Mostaganem in 1856.
Alain-Julien Rudefoucauld, French writer and playwright was born in Mostaganem in 1950.
Ishak Belfodil, (born 12 January 1992) is an Algerian professional football player
Abdelkader Ouali (born 1952), politician

References

(2008). "Armature urbaine". Office National des Statistiques.
[http://murustaga-mostaganem27.webs.com/ Murustaga-Mostaganem] {{webarchive. link. (1 February 2014)
link. (22 October 2023 {{ISBN). 978-0-52121592-3), p. 118
link. (22 October 2023 {{ISBN). 978-0-22790308-7), p. 84
''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, {{ISBN. 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 935
"Klimadaten ausgewählter Wetterstationen: Algerien". Deutscher Wetterdinest.

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