Ali Bitchin facts for kids
Ali Bitchin (born around 1560, died 1645) was a famous "renegade." This means he was a Christian who converted to Islam. He became very wealthy in Algiers by working as a privateer. Privateers were like legal pirates who attacked enemy ships for their country. Bitchin's original family name might have been Piccini or Puccini, and he was likely born in Venice. He became a Grand Admiral of Algiers. He is also known for building a mosque in the old city (Casbah) that still carries his name today.
Ali Bitchin became well-known through the stories of Emanuel D'Aranda. D'Aranda was Bitchin's slave for about a year, from 1640 to 1641. Some people debate if Bitchin was ever truly the Governor of Algiers. This is because he might have taken power for a very short time in 1645, but it's not fully confirmed.
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Ali Bitchin's Early Life and Rise
Ali Bitchin was captured in 1578 when he was just ten years old. He was on a Venetian ship when Hassan Veneziano, the King of Algiers, captured it. Bitchin was bought from a slave market for 60 golden dinars. His new owner was Raïs Fettah-Allah Ben-Khodja. A "Raïs" was a captain of a privateer ship. Ben-Khodja taught young Bitchin all about privateering.
A Popular and Fearless Leader
Ali Bitchin became one of the most liked privateers, similar to Rais Hamidou who lived later. Under his command, the Algerian Navy became very powerful in the Mediterranean Sea. His ships bravely sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar. They even went as far north as the Arctic Circle! Bitchin's privateers also entered the Atlantic Ocean and reached Ireland. They even managed to attack Madeira.
Bitchin and his crew were always fearless. They often attacked much larger ships with their smaller, lighter boats. They did not care how many enemies they faced. They could survive the worst storms. They would appear suddenly and surprise their enemies with their bold attacks.
How Ali Bitchin Became Rich
Ali Bitchin brought countless treasures back to Algiers on his ships. These riches were taken from the ships he captured. Because of this, he helped make the city of Algiers look very wealthy and grand. People even called him the "foster father" of Algiers.
Bitchin was a very important figure in Algiers between 1620 and his death in 1645. In 1622, he built the famous Ali Bitchin Mosque. From 1621 to 1645, he was the top leader of the Taifa. The Taifa was a group of all the privateer captains (Raïs). He was given the title of Grand Admiral of Algiers.
His wealth grew to be enormous. He owned a large palace in the city. He also had a home in the countryside. He owned several galleys (large ships) and thousands of slaves. Even with so many slaves, he often fed them only a small piece of bread or biscuit, and not every day.
The Ali Bitchin Mosque
There's a famous story about how the Ali Bitchin Mosque was built. It is said that when Ali Bitchin first saw Princess Lalla Lallahoum, he fell in love. She was the daughter of Ben Ali, the Sultan of the Kabyle people of Algiers. People believed she was the most beautiful woman. Bitchin felt restless and troubled by his feelings for her.
He went to Ben Ali, the Sultan, to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. He was joined by Lalla N'fiça, who was the widow of his old mentor, Raïs Fethullah Ben-Khodja. Bitchin offered the beautiful princess many gifts. He brought Persian carpets, silks from the Levant, diamonds from India, and gold from Peru.
But Lalla Lallahoum was not interested in these riches. She said, "No, I don't need any of this. I ask that my suitor build a mosque to prove his faith." Ali Bitchin built the mosque that very same year, in 1622.
Ali Bitchin's Final Years and Legacy
Around 1639, the Algerian navy, led by Ali Bitchin, suffered a big defeat. They were fighting alongside the Ottoman fleet against the Venetians. This battle happened in Aulona (which is now Vlorë, Albania) on the Adriatic Sea. The Turkish Sultan promised to pay the King of Algiers for the damages. He said he would help rebuild the Algerian fleet. However, the Sultan never sent the money he promised.
This made the Raïs (privateer captains) very angry. Bitchin decided that the Algerian navy would no longer help the Turkish Navy in the future. In 1645, Sultan Ibrahim ordered all Algerian warships to fight the Knights of Malta and the Venetians. But Bitchin and his privateers refused to go.
The Sultan saw this refusal as a serious act of disloyalty. He secretly ordered his helpers to poison Bitchin. People believed that Bitchin's own servant, who was paid with gold, planned and carried out the poisoning by putting poison in his coffee.
What Happened After His Death
Ali Bitchin was buried in a cemetery called Djebanet El Bashawet. This cemetery was in the Bab El Oued neighborhood. However, his remains, along with many others, were dug up in 1831. This happened because French invaders took over Algiers. In 1832, they changed his Mosque into a Roman Catholic church. They called it Notre Dame des Victoires. They did the same thing to the Ketchaoua Mosque.
By doing this, they disrespected the Djebanet El Bashawet cemetery. New buildings were built right on top of the graves. Anne Jean Marie René Savary, a French general, gave the cemetery lands to several officers. These officers divided the land into smaller pieces. Without caring, they dug up the bones and sent them to Marseilles, France.
Ibrahim Pasha, a leader in Algiers, wrote a letter to the King of France on February 2, 1831. He said: "The greatest pain that was made to our hearts is to destroy our cemeteries and to expose the desecrated remains of our ancestors.... Such injustice is painful to bear. This is contrary to all religions...."
Dr. Segaud wrote an article in a newspaper called the Semaphore of Marseilles on March 2, 1832. He said: "I saw The Josephine ship that arrived in Algiers loaded with bones, and human skulls, and of corpses recently unearthed."
