Military Architecture of Early Modern Algeria: The Lost Fort of Burg al-Jazira (Cherchell)

Abstract

This study examines the vanished early modern coastal fort of Burg al-Jazira (Fort Joinville) in Cherchell, Algeria, a fortification demolished during the French colonial period. Based on archival research, travellers’ accounts, and historical architectural surveys, the study analyses the fort’s architectural configuration, defensive features, and construction techniques through critical architectural reading and analytical redrawing. The study situates Burg al-Jazira within Cherchell’s broader maritime defence system and compares it with the nearby Ottoman fort of Burg Cherchell, highlighting significant divergences in defensive logic and architectural design. The analysis identifies a pre-Ottoman early modern coastal fortification designed for maritime artillery defence that reflects the Western Mediterranean geopolitical context and the adaptation to artillery warfare, suggesting a circulation of military building knowledge. The research provides a systematic architectural interpretation of Burg al-Jazira and contributes to knowledge of early modern coastal fortifications in the central Maghreb.