Tuggurt Expedition (1552)

The Tuggurt expedition in 1552 was an expedition aimed at obtaining the submission of the Saharan cities of Tuggurt and Ouargla, seats of independent sultanates. Salah Rais, beylerbey of the regency of Algiers, was allied to the troops of the Kingdom of Ait Abbas, led by their sultan, Abdelaziz el Abbas.

The sultan of Tuggurt, at the head of two prosperous cities and Saharan principalities, refused to pay tribute to the regency of Algiers. It was therefore decided to launch an expedition to subdue them and take control at the same time of a caravan route for the Trans-Saharan tradein gold. Salah Rais, at the head of 1000 cavalry and 8000 infantry, as few as some pieces of artillery. He was joined by 180 arquebusiers and 1,600 horsemen from the Kabyles of Beni Abbes. For the latter, the expedition was a chance to acquaint themselves with artillery, which they hoped to use to their advantage against the attacks of the Turks of Algiers.

In passing Salah Raïs subdued Biskra, already attacked in 1542 by Hassan Pasha, which had refused to pay tribute. Continuing south, he laid siege to Tuggurt. The local sultan, only 16 years old, fell back behind the city walls and hoped that the surrounding tribes, hostile to the Turks, would come to his rescue. Salah Rais bombarded the defenses with cannon for three days. The fourth day he attacked, committed a massacre in the city and captured the young sultan.

Salah Rais plundered the town, motivated by its reputation for possessing gold in quantity. He then took the road to Ouargla further south. Faced with the methods of Salah Rais, the city was deserted by its inhabitants and its sultan, who fled with 4000 horsemen towards El Golea. Only African merchants and marabouts remained at the arrival of Salah Rais. The two sultanates submitted and undertook to pay tribute, so he left again for Algiers