History of the town of Mostaganem

It would be useless to seek in the Arab books the etymology of word “MUSTAGHANIM” no historian or Arab geographer does not make known in a precise way the direction or the reasons of this name. On the other hand several tests of explanation are variously preserved at the local populations: Mostaghanim would be composed of two distinct terms: Machta (Winter Station) and Ghanem (Rich stockbreeder of sheep). Mostaghanim: Marsa ranem, i.e. the port of the spoils. Mostaghanim would come from Misk Al-Ghanem: abundance for the herds. Finally for the few historians of antiquity, it is rather with a Port Romain “MURUSTAGA” that Mostaganem owes its etymology. The coast of Tenes with Arzew was well-known phenicians sui had established counters there: Small-port and Ouillis in Dahra and Kharouba meadows of Mostaganem. The city would have been founded at the Average Age, some allot its foundation to the almoravides which, during XIème century were the Masters about 1082. Youcef Ibn Tachfine, the Founder of Almoravides Dynasty would have been satisfied to build a “Bordj” on a hill in the north of the current agglomeration. The true importance of Mostaganem seems to be due to the establishment of a great number of Andalusian families which were attracted by the fertility of the Ground. They then founded farms which made the fame of the area. Thanks to this working population and many, the area covered splendid villages. About 1580, the city was opulent and lived in the luxury, the taxes paid with Turkish of Algiers of it are the proof. The Arabs and later the Turks have creates many centers, such as Kallaa of Blessed-Rached, Mazouna which disputed in Mostaganem its role of metropolis. The area of Mostaganem gave great names to the history; let us quote for memory the writers poets “SIDI BENHAOUA”, “SIDI LAKHDAR BENKHLOUF”, “CHEIKH-EL MAZOUNI”, “CHEIKH-BOURAS” and so much of others.