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This map provides a detailed nautical and topographical view of the fortified port and surrounding coastline of Marzalquivir (now Mers-el-Kébir), located along the Mediterranean coast in present-day Algeria.
The map highlights the Château de Marzalquivir, a prominent coastal fortification built to defend the harbor. The detailed architectural layout of the fort is depicted, showcasing its bastions, walls, and strategic positioning at the entrance to the harbor.
The chart includes soundings (depth measurements) in toises to aid navigation, along with indications of seabed composition (e.g., sand, mud) and hazardous areas such as shoals and underwater rocks. The coastline is intricately rendered, with depictions of cliffs, beaches, and surrounding terrain. The map notes features such as "Roches sous l’eau" (submerged rocks) and "Batteries de la Côte" (coastal batteries), which reflect the military and navigational significance of the area.
Mers-el-Kébir, strategically located near the larger city of Oran, was a key military and trading port. First fortified by the Spanish in the early 16th century and later contested by the Ottoman Empire and France, the port was a vital link for controlling trade routes and regional politics.
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.
![The West Part of Barbary... [on sheet with:] The East Part of Barbary...](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/94055.jpg)
