Tuggurt Expedition (1552)

The Tuggurt expedition in 1552 aimed to obtain 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 al-Abbas.

The sultan of Tuggurt, head of two prosperous cities and Saharan principalities, refused to pay tribute to the regency of Algiers, which therefore launched an expedition to subdue him and also take control at the same time of a caravan route for the Trans-Saharan trade in gold. Salah Rais, at the head of 1,000 spahis and 3,000 musketeers, as well as some pieces of artillery, was joined by 8,000 Kabyle auxiliaries from the Beni Abbes.

In passing Salah Raïs subdued Biskra, previously attacked in 1542 by Hassan Pasha, because it had refused to pay tribute. Continuing south, he laid siege to Tuggurt for four days before conquering Ouargla. The local sultan, only 14 years old, retreated behind the city walls and hoped that the surrounding tribes, hostile to the Turks, would come to his rescue. Salah Raïs bombarded the city's defenses with cannon for three days. On the fourth day he attacked, massacred the city's inhabitants, and captured the young sultan.

Salah Rais plundered the town, reputed to possess gold in quantity. He then took the road south to Ouargla. Faced with the methods of Salah Rais, the city's inhabitants fled and its sultan retreated with 4,000 horsemen towards El Golea. Only African merchants and marabouts remained when Salah Raïs arrived. The two sultanates surrendered and promised to pay tribute, so Salah Reis and Abdelaziz returned Algiers with a large booty that included gold and 5,000 slaves