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.