Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Middle Ages


Byzantine Province of North Africa (Exarchate of Africa)                 (585–698 AD)

The Exarchate of Africa was an administrative division of the Eastern Roman Empire encompassing its lands on the western Mediterranean it was created by Roman Emperor Maurice in 583 AD, ruled by an exarch (governor) and Carthage was the capital of the Exarchate of Africa.

(Above Image) Byzantine Empire map


Under Emperor Justinian I, the process was partially reversed for provinces which were judged to be especially vulnerable or in internal disorder. Capitalizing upon this precedent and taking it one step further, the emperor Maurice sometime between 585 and 590 AD created the office of exarch in North Africa, which combined the supreme civil authority of a praetorian prefect (High Office) and the military authority of a magister militum (Military Command), and enjoyed considerable autonomy from Byzantine capital Constantinople. Two exarchates were established, one in Italy, with seat at Ravenna (Exarchate of Ravenna), and one in Africa, based at Carthage (Exarchate of Africa) and including all imperial possessions in the Western Mediterranean.

(Above Image) Byzantine Empire Flag


The Visigothic kingdom in Spain was also a continuous threat to the Byzantine Empire. The African exarch was in possession of Mauretania II, which was little more than a tiny outpost in southern Spain. The conflict continued until the final conquest of the last Spanish strongholds in 624 AD by the Visigoths. The Byzantines retained only the fort of Septum (Ceuta), across Gibraltar.

(Above Image) Byzantine Soldiers


During the successful revolt of the exarch of Carthage Heraclius in 608, the Amazigh comprised a large portion of the fleet that transported Heraclius to Constantinople. Due to religious and political ambitions, the Exarch Gregory the Patrician (who was related by blood to the imperial family, through the emperor's cousin Nicetas) declared himself independent of Constantinople in 647 AD.  At this time the influence and power of the exarchate was exemplified in the forces gathered by Gregory in the battle of Sufetula also in that year where more than 100,000 men of Amazigh (Berber) fought for Gregory the Patrician.

(Above Image) Gregory the Patrician


A division in the church that came to be known as the Donatist controversy began in 313 AD among Christians in North Africa. The Donatists stressed the holiness of the church and refused to accept the authority to administer the sacraments of those who had surrendered the scriptures when they were forbidden under the Emperor Diocletian. The Donatists also opposed the involvement of Emperor Constantine in church affairs in contrast to the majority of Christians who welcomed official imperial recognition; some Amazigh (Berber) tribes had converted to Christianity.

(Above Image) Byzantine Cross


The first Islamic expeditions began with an initiative from Egypt under the emir Amr Ibn Al-as and his nephew Uqba Ibn al Nafia al Fihri. Sensing Roman weakness they conquered Barca, in Cyrenaica (East Libya), then successively on to Tripolitania where they encountered resistance. Due to the unrest caused by theological disputes concerning Monothelitism and Monoenergism the Exarchate of Africa under Gregory distanced itself from the empire in open revolt.

(Above Image) Muslim Cavalry in Battle


The loss of the mainland African exarchate was an enormous blow to the Byzantine Empire in the Western Mediterranean because both Carthage and Egypt were Constantinople's main sources of manpower and grain in the empire. It was also an enormous blow because it permanently ended Roman presence in history of Africa.

Monday, 18 February 2013

Photo Archives of the Algerian Revolution

Photo Archives of the Algerian Revolution (1954-1962), A Revolution that Algerians fought for the Independence of Algeria against the French Colonization it lasted for 7 years and the price was 1.5 million Martyrs. 

French Paratroops supported by Helicopters



































French Armoured Vehicle entering into a village



















French Warship Shelling coastal towns (8 May 1945)
















Search Operations by the French Paratroops 




















French Military Parade in Algeria





















Operation Chien is a french military operation was operated to search for Algerian Revolutionists (Mujaheddin)



















































French Paratroops in the Casbah during Battle of Algiers 

























French Propaganda against the Algerian Revolution  

























Destroyed French Jeep



















French Plane Fighter shout down by the Algerian Revolutionists (Mujaheddin) In the Aures 



















French Soldiers taking their dead bodies to the graveyard in Batna 1954





















Setif Massacre (8 May 1945) which claimed lives of more the 45,000 Algerians who were making a peaceful demonstration in Setif.
















The French Soldiers did not just killed Algerian people they also looted and burned down their properties (House and Shops)























After the massacre of Setif the French arrested the remaining Algerian residents in Setif and took them to Detention camps.






















































French Newspaper Le Monde 2/11/1954
Calling the Algerian Revolution as  "Terrorist Movement in North Africa"




















French Newspaper Combat 2/11/1954
"Waves of Military operations in Algeria"


















French Newspaper Le Figaro 2/11/1954
"Waves of Terrorists attacks in Algeria"




















French Newspaper La Croix 2/11/1954
"Risings of Terrorists in North Africa"



















Algerians in the French detention camps of the french in the south of Algeria


















French Troops Arresting Algerians 

























































French Soldiers torturing Algerian people 


























Photos of  the Algerian Revolutionist (Mujaheddin)















































Algerian Revolutionist (Mujaheddin) healing one of their wounded

  















Algerian Revolutionist's (Mujaheddin) Memorial Photos taking during the war





















Algerian Revolutionists (Mujaheddin) praying to god 


























Massacres in Oran 1956

















Massacres in Constantine 1960

























Massacre in Aures Villages























Here is a Skull of an Algerian that has been placed at the front of the French Military Jeep



















French Soldiers Killing Algerians in Action






















French Military Checkpoints in Algiers 1957





















French soldiers arresting Algerian people in Casbah 1960




















French Police Arresting Algerian protesters in Paris 17/10/1961


























French Soldier checking an Algerian farmer 






















Algerian refuges in Tunisia



















French Soldiers arresting an Algerian Revolutionist


















French Soldiers Arresting Algerian Revolutionist Leader Larbi Ben M'hidi in Algiers 1957
























The week of barricades in Algiers (January 1960)

Riots caused by the European settlers in Algiers for supporting French  General Massu and refusing the Independence of Algeria 





















OAS (Organisation armée secrète)  "Organization of the Secret Army" is a French terrorist organization was crated in 1961 in order to keep Algeria as a French Territory.
there motto is "Algeria is French and will remain so"












OAS Bombing Algerian Public Buildings and Streets











































Exodus of the Pieds Noirs (European Settlers in Algeria) in 1962
























Referendum on the Independence of Algeria held in April 1962, the result was 91% for Independence of Algeria and 9% was against the Independence.



















Algerian People celebrating the Independence of Algeria after 132 years of French Colonization of Algeria