Located above the Casbah, the Citadel was begun in 1516 by the brother of Barbarossa, Aruj. It served as a fortress for Algiers, both against the sea, and against the hinterland. Between 1816 and 1830, it was rebuilt to a palace of the Dey of Algiers. USA had attacked Algiers in 1815 as a revenge for piracy, followed by joint British-Dutch forces in 1816. In 1830, the Dey slapped the French consul right here in the Citadel, an insult that motivated the French to attack Algeria, and with that began the colonization of Algeria. The Citadel is presently undergoing heavy restoration work, but not all is fenced in, and a few parts can be appreciated.
