In the north of Algeria, in the administrative district of Msila is the city of Kal'at-Banu Hammad, once the ancient capital of the Hammadid dynasty. Founded in 1007, the fortress served its masters until 1152, when it was destroyed in an attack by Al-Mumin warriors.
The location in a mountainous area, at an altitude of 1,418 metres above sea level, made the city isolated and inaccessible to explorers. 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 centre of scientific and theological research, craftsmanship. The best architects erected the palace of the ruler Dar al-Bahr of three separate buildings with gardens and terraces, a huge (67x47m) swimming pool at the entrance. The exhibits of the museums of Setif, Constantine and Algiers are coins, jewellery, household items and utensils from Kala 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 the mosque and the 7 km long fortress wall, the signal tower have been perfectly preserved. The mosque strikes with its size - it has 13 aisles and 8 rows of seats for worshippers. It is still considered one of the largest in Algeria.
The excavations also revealed the remains of the foundations of the palaces of the city's noble inhabitants.
