Peñón of Algiers
Peñón d'Alger / الأميرالية
A small harbor island where Algiers got its name, featuring Ottoman-era Admiralty buildings and an old lighthouse next to the Lower Casbah.
The Peñón was originally a chain of small islands off the port of Algiers. The Arabic word 'al-Jazā'ir' (meaning 'the islands') is the source of the city's name. In 1510 the Spanish built a fort on the island to control the harbor. In 1529, after Hayreddin Barbarossa captured it, a causeway was built to connect it to the mainland, forming today's port. The island preserves its Ottoman Admiralty complex (Amirauté) and a lighthouse first built in 1544. It is among the most historically significant harbor remains in Algiers. Today it is a base of the Algerian Navy, and the interior is generally closed to visitors. You can admire it on foot from the Place des Martyrs or the area around the New Mosque by walking along the harbor road, or from the access road and ferries outside the port. It can be visited along with the Casbah and the Dar Aziza palace in about half an hour. Photography of military facilities is prohibited, so please follow the posted signs.
Opening hours
Exterior visible all day; interior is a military zone and not open
Nearby sights
- Djamaa El Kebir
- Palais des Raïs (Bastion 23)
- Djamaa El Djedid
- Martyrs' Square
- Dar Mustapha Pacha
- Casbah of Algiers
- Ketchaoua Mosque
- Mausoleum of Sidi Abderrahmane