Mostaganem

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.

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.

Navy battalions set sail aboard L.S.Ts (Landing Ship Tanks) towards an unknown destination, code named "Island X". Island X would turn out to be the Gulf of Arzew in Northern Algeria. In April 1943, US Navy forces "D" company arrived in Mostaganem to build an amphibious port. The port in Mostaganem was the largest base of its kind. It had electricity, running water, roads, a hospital, and pontoon shops. The arrival of Allied forces in Mostaganem were welcome and the locals were friendly towards the soldiers.

The city of Mostaganem is divided by the ravine of the Wadi Ain Sefra (River) . Mostaganem is considered to consist of two regions, the modern Eastern quarter, and Western quarter with the old Muslim city, Tidgit. The port and beaches occupy the south. The Ain Safra River flooded the city of Mostaganem in 1900. Though recently, the Cheliff River flooding has caused property damage and loss of life notably in 2000, 2001, 2010, and 2017. The city has expanded three times its size between 1962 and 2004, claiming 18 km (11 mi) of coastal zone. This growth in combination with agricultural and industrial activities have caused environmental concerns.

Tourism

The city of Mostaganem features a port on the Mediterranean Sea that has a ferry, Amusement Park, commercial district, religious heritage sites, and beaches.

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 (64.2 °F). About 347 mm (13.66 in) of precipitation falls annually.

In 2010, a tunnel under the city and toward the city center was completed 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 used for unloading all sorts of cargo, ranging from provisions to cars and pipelines. As in most ports of Algeria, sailors are not allowed to exit the port and visit the city. The port is shared by large transport vessels and fishing boats alike. A new, smaller port for fishing boats has been constructed, but is currently not used.

• Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, French general, was born in Mostaganem in 1856.
• Sheikh Hamada, musician.
• Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi, poet.
• Mohamed Chouikh, cinema director.
• Ahmad al-Alawi, notable religious figures of the 20th century was also born and later buried in Mostaganem.
• Alain-Julien Rudefoucauld, French writer and playwright was born in Mostaganem in 1950.
• Abdelkader Ouali (born 1952), politician.