Ghar al Milh Harbour (Ghar al-Milḩ / غار الملح)

Tunisia / Binzart / Gar-al-Milhh / Ghar al-Milḩ / غار الملح
Ghar al Milh (also known as Porto Farina) (Arabic: غار الملح‎) is a coastal town and former port in northeastern Tunisia. The town was an important base for Barbary pirates until it was destroyed by Admiral Robert Blake in 1654. However the harbour and defences were soon rebuilt and it became a base for British and Maltese pirates. In 1834 a huge arsenal belonging to a Maltese pirate exploded and destroyed part of the town. Ahmed Bey, the last Bey of Constantine, decided to clamp down on piracy and attempted to turn the port over to legitimate trade. He invested in new jetties and fortresses but the estuary then began to silt up. Today Ghar al Milh is a small fishing town.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghar_al_Milh
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Coordinates:   37°10'5"N   10°11'36"E

Comments

  • English pirate and author Sir Henry Mainwaring mentions Ghar El Melh - he calls it Porto Farina - in his "Discourse on Pirates" presented to King James I in 1618.
This article was last modified 12 years ago