Pirates & Shipwrecks · Barbary corsair port, 1500s to 1800s
Algiers
Algiers, Algeria
What happened
From the 1500s the port of Algiers in North Africa was a base for corsairs, sea raiders who attacked ships and coastal towns. The Barbary corsairs raided across the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic, reaching as far as Britain, Ireland and Iceland.
Why it matters
For about 300 years corsairs from Algiers and other North African ports threatened sailors and coastal towns across Europe. Several countries paid money so that their ships would be left alone.
What came next
On 27 August 1816 a British and Dutch fleet under Admiral Lord Exmouth bombarded Algiers. Corsair activity there did not fully end until France conquered the city in 1830.
Did you know?
In June 1631 corsairs from Algiers raided the village of Baltimore in County Cork, Ireland.
Timeline
- Early 1500sThe Barbarossa brothers take control of Algiers for the Ottomans.
- June 1631Corsairs raid the village of Baltimore in Ireland.
- 27 August 1816A British and Dutch fleet bombards Algiers.
- 1830France conquers Algiers.