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This map was published in Jacques-Nicolas Bellin's Le Petit Atlas Maritime in 1764.
The map illustrates the Bay of Algiers, a significant harbor in the Mediterranean, with detailed depictions of the surrounding coastline and fortifications. It is an example of Bellin's precise cartographic work, produced during the height of French maritime expansion. The engraving reflects the strategic importance of Algiers within the region, highlighting key features such as Cap Caxine, Cap Matifou, and the array of defensive structures near the city, including the forts of Empereur, Tugarino, and Babazon.
The map belongs to an era when Algiers was a central power in the Barbary Coast, known for its involvement in Mediterranean trade and piracy. By the mid-18th century, Algiers had established itself as a fortified city-state under Ottoman rule, and European maritime powers, particularly France, closely monitored its defenses and geography. Bellin's work was crucial for informing naval operations and aiding in the planning of future campaigns.
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was among the most important mapmakers of the eighteenth century. In 1721, at only the age of 18, he was appointed Hydrographer to the French Navy. In August 1741, he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographic Office) and was named Official Hydrographer of the French King.
During his term as Official Hydrographer, the Dépôt was the one of the most active centers for the production of sea charts and maps in Europe. Their output included a folio-format sea atlas of France, the Neptune Francois. He also produced a number of sea atlases of the world, including the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise. These gained fame and distinction all over Europe and were republished throughout the eighteenth and even in the nineteenth century.
Bellin also produced smaller format maps such as the 1764 Petit Atlas Maritime, containing 580 finely-detailed charts. He also contributed a number of maps for the 15-volume Histoire Generale des Voyages of Antoine François Prévost.
Bellin set a very high standard of workmanship and accuracy, cementing France's leading role in European cartography and geography during this period. Many of his maps were copied by other mapmakers across the continent.
