"Al-Shabak" .. the Algerian ship that terrified the European naval fleets
BARBARY SHIPS FACING ENGLISH SHIPS (GETTY)
In the past centuries, the Algerian navy extended its control over the Mediterranean Sea, inflicting several losses on the hostile fleets and standing as a bulwark in the face of the Crusades, thanks to its navy, which was formed by various ships, most notably the ship "Al-Shabak" .. the Mediterranean legend that terrified the European fleets during the Ottoman era.
The "Shabbak" ship was described as terrifying and constituted an essential piece in the Algerian naval fleet, which was at the height of its strength at the time.
The ship “Al-Shabak” is also called “Al-Shabak”, but the first one is derived from the word “Shabaka” used in fishing.
The "Shabbak" ship returned to the forefront, and its history and legend were revisited in a scientific and cultural event organized by the National Maritime Public Museum, in coordination with the Marine Engineering Association "Marina", on the re-installation and embodiment of the model of the "Shabbak" ship and making it float in the Admiralty Basin of Algiers in the capital.
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According to what was stated on the official page of the Public Maritime Museum, “the first floating process was for a miniature model of the Algerian ship “Al-Shabak”, which is one of the most important and beautiful ships destined for wars and battles, which fought many battles in the heart of the Mediterranean during the Ottoman era in Algeria (1518-1830). ).
According to the preamble of the scientific-cultural demonstration, "the maritime field has witnessed a revolution and transformation since the end of the 15th century AD, through reliance on more effective and influential commercial and warships, so the battles became settled for those who possess the power of the maritime industry, which resulted in ships characterized by speed and maneuver, which created an image of a maritime conflict." And a race between the naval fleets, some of which possess technology, weapons and skill.
From this point of view, the fleet of the Eyalet of Algeria witnessed a qualitative revolution in this field, as it contained a huge number of different ships, the most important of which, as is common, is the ship Al-Shabak, the pride of the Algerian Navy during the Ottoman period, according to the preamble.
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Thus, the ship "Al-Shabak" was an essential piece and an integral part of the Algerian naval fleet that was at the height of its power. The triangular shape, in addition to the feature of rowing with the presence of oars on its sides, made it a maneuverable ship par excellence during the battles, the reason that made it hit its targets with ease with its lightness, rapid movement and flow in the open sea in order to avoid the shots of enemy ships’ cannons.
According to historical sources, "the weight of the ship was about 260 tons, and its cargo reached 150 barrels, and it was armed with about 28 cannons. As for its origin, it was a fishing ship, before the Algerian sailors turned it into a warship that became the most powerful and famous in that time period, especially with the intensification of the campaigns." Crusade against Algeria and the Arab countries located in the Mediterranean.
The ship "Al-Shabak", along with other marine vessels such as "Al-Qalir", "Al-Ghaliouta", "Turaida", "Al-Fusta" .. constituted the power of the Algerian navy during the Ottoman era, and also prompted European historians and painters to immortalize it in books and paintings, given its history. And its championships at sea, despite its small size compared to other ships, was a bogeyman that Europeans feared during the confrontation with the Algerian navy, which did not fail to support and rescue Muslims in the East, especially in Palestine and Syria, against the Crusades.
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During the scientific demonstration organized by the National Maritime Museum, the Algerian News Agency, on the authority of Abd al-Hadi Ragai Salmi, a researcher at the National Center for Studies and Research in Algerian Military History, stated that the “ship” “Al-Shabak” had unique technical characteristics and was the pillar of the Algerian naval invasion in the Mediterranean, beginning in the middle of the 17th century. Until the nineteenth century.
According to the researcher Salmi, "the nets depend in their rapid movements on the force of the wind thanks to their triangular sails distributed on three masts of different lengths, as well as the physical strength represented in the oars that allowed them to flow quickly and smoothly between enemy ships, and although they were small in size, they carried more than 30 cannons.
He pointed out that "the Algerian sailors arrived with it to the coasts of northern Portugal and England, after making modifications to its sails to resist the nature of the Atlantic Ocean.
Regarding the date of its appearance, Amine Rahati, an academic at the Department of Marine Engineering at the University of Science and Technology in Oran, explained that the ship "Al-Shabak" appeared "in Algeria after the Battle of Lepant in 1571 between the European Christian armies against the Ottomans and Algerians. According to the Algerian News Agency..
And the battle of "Lepanto" or "Lepanto" on the coasts of Greece took place between the Muslims, who were led by the Ottomans, and the Christian alliance led by the papal formation in Rome on October 7, 1571, when the Ottoman state relied in its Mediterranean wars against its opponents from European countries on its overlooking provinces. On the Mediterranean Sea, from Egypt to the Eyalet of Algeria. According to what was reported by the writer and academic Abdelkader Fkayer in an article entitled “The Role of the Algerian Fleet in the Battle of Lepanto 1571” published in 2011 in the magazine “Al-Mawakif” (an annual magazine issued by Mascara University and launched in 2007).
Director of the Maritime Museum: The net was a fishing vessel, but it was developed during the Ottoman period and became a warship
With regard to the "net," the director of the National Public Maritime Museum, Makrani Boukary Amal, indicated that the "net" at the beginning of its service was a fishing vessel, but it was developed during the Ottoman period and became a warship that crossed the sea regardless of the climatic conditions and faced the enemy. Boukari pointed out that the "net" no longer has any effect and disappeared with the advent of French colonialism and its occupation of Algeria in 1830.
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