Description of the attraction
In the north of Algeria, in the administrative district of Msila, there is the city of Kal'at Banu Hammad, which was once the ancient capital of the Hammadid dynasty. Founded in 1007, the fortress served its masters until 1152, when it was destroyed by the attack of Al-Mumin's warriors.
Its location in a mountainous area, at an altitude of 1418 meters above sea level, made the city isolated and inaccessible to researchers. The fortress was found during excavations in 1897 by archaeologists from France, scientific work was continued in 1908 and 1948 by specialists from Algeria.
During its heyday, Kala-Banu-Hammad was a densely populated center of scientific and theological research, handicrafts. The best architects erected the palace of the ruler Dar-el-Bahr from three separate buildings with gardens and terraces, a huge (67x47m) swimming pool at the entrance. The exhibits of the Setif, Constantine and Algerian museums are coins, jewelry, household items, dishes from Cala Banu Hammad. On the territory of the archaeological complex, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, you can see the remains of sculptural images of lions made of marble, which is very nontrivial for Muslims, ceramic, mosaic decoration, stained glass, painting. The minaret with the ruins of a mosque and a fortress wall 7 km long, a signal tower has been perfectly preserved. The mosque is striking in its size - it has 13 naves and 8 rows of places for worshipers. It is still considered one of the largest in Algeria.
The excavations also show the remains of the foundations of the palaces of the noble inhabitants of the city.
