Algiers: History, Former Names & Timeline
Port on the southern Mediterranean, a Barbary corsair base under the Ottomans and from 1830 the capital of French Algeria.
AlgiersExplore Algiers in the interactive map
Former names of Algiers
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 200 BC | Icosium | |
| AD 950 | Algiers | ‘the islands’ |
Timeline of Algiers
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| AD 950 | Buluggin ibn Ziri rebuilds the town (about this date) |
| 1516 | Oruç Barbarossa seizes Algiers |
| 1529 | Hayreddin takes the Spanish Peñón and Algiers becomes an Ottoman regency |
| 1830 | France captures Algiers |
| 1962 | Algeria becomes independent |
Who ruled Algiers
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–201 BC | Carthaginian Empire |
| 200 BC–101 BC | Kingdom of Syphax |
| 100 BC–2 BC | Numidia |
| 1 BC–299 | Roman Empire |
| 300–399 | Rome (Maximian) |
| 400–499 | Western Roman Empire |
| 500–599 | Vandals |
| 600–699 | Unclaimed / no data |
| 700–799 | Warsenis |
| 800–999 | Aghlabid Emirate |
| 1000–1299 | Fatimid Caliphate |
| 1300–1491 | Hafsid Caliphate |
| 1492–1599 | Zayyanid Caliphate |
| 1600–1782 | Ottoman Empire |
| 1783–1879 | Algiers |
| 1880–1899 | Algeria (FR) |
| 1900–1937 | Algeria |
| 1938–1944 | Algeria (France) |
| 1945–today | Algeria |
Nearby cities
Further reading
Questions about Algiers
What was Algiers called in the past?
Algiers has been known as Icosium (from 200 BC). Its present name dates from AD 950.
Which states have ruled Algiers?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Algiers lies within 17 different states: Carthaginian Empire, Kingdom of Syphax, Numidia, Roman Empire, Rome (Maximian), Western Roman Empire, Vandals, Warsenis, Aghlabid Emirate, Fatimid Caliphate and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Algiers?
AD 950: Buluggin ibn Ziri rebuilds the town (about this date). 1516: Oruç Barbarossa seizes Algiers. 1529: Hayreddin takes the Spanish Peñón and Algiers becomes an Ottoman regency. 1830: France captures Algiers. 1962: Algeria becomes independent.
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.