The Port of Skikda is located near the mouth of the Wadi Safsaf on the Gulf of Stora on Algeria’s northeastern Mediterranean coast. Known as Philippeville until Algeria won independence in 1962, the Port of Skikda is the capital of the providence of the same name.

Incomes in the Port of Skikda are among the highest in North Africa. It is Algeria’s third busiest commercial port, with both a petrochemical terminal port and a fishing port. The city is home to prosperous natural gas, petrochemical, and oil refining industries. Its city hall and railroad station were designed by world-famous architect Le Corbusier. In 1998, over 152 thousand people lived in the metropolitan area.

The Port of Skikda was founded in 1838 by Frenchman Marshal Sylvain-Charles Valee, who called the port Constantine. Under French rule, it was called Philippeville (lasting until independence in 1962).

The Port of Skikda sits on an ancient Phoenician city that later became the 4th-Century Roman city of Rusicade. Vandals destroyed the Roman port in the 5th Century. The Port of Skikda boasts the biggest Roman theater in all of Algeria, and the local museum contains many Roman artifacts.

In 1848, the town of Philippeville was established as a commune under the French colonial power. In 1883, an earthquake struck Philippeville.

In the later years of World War II, a United Nations refugee camp was located in the Port of Skikda that received 200 Jews from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. In 1955, 123 people died in an uprising during the war of independence. The victims were primarily French citizens and suspected collaborators. French reprisals took from 1200 to 12,000 lives, depending on which side reports the events.

In 1964, expansion work on the Port of Skikda was completed, but it remained a minor port. In 1970, a pipeline for natural gas started operating there, stimulating the development of oil refining, petrochemical, and liquefied gas industries. In 1972, three new oil jetties were completed, transforming the Port of Skikda into an important center for petroleum and petroleum products.

Since 1981, the Port of Skikda has undergone almost continuous improvement and expansion efforts. In 1981, pleasure craft and the fishing port were moved to nearby Stora. In 1985, a new commercial quay was opened to serve small trades.

Before Algeria’s 1962 independence, the Port of Skikda was populated mostly by people of Maltese and Italian heritage. After independence, Europeans left the city, and Muslim refugees moved in.

Today, the port is an important outlet for oil from the Hassi Messaoud fields. It also is an important export point for agricultural and mineral products from the Safsaf Valley and surrounding region. The Port of Skikda is a major distribution point for imports to east and southeastern Algeria. Many passengers visit the Port of Skikda. It is also important for sardine fishing and canning companies.

In 2007, the Port of Skikda handled over 2.2 million tons of cargo, including 785 thousand tons of equipment, over 686 thousand tons of metallurgical products, almost 620 thousand tons of agricultural produce, and smaller amounts of foodstuffs, construction materials, and chemicals. During that year, it moved more than 633 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo.

The modern Port of Skikda includes two sub-ports: the mixed port and new port. The mixed port contains over 1.6 thousand meters of quay and covers 45 hectares of water surface. With 15 berths, the mixed port quays have alongside depth of from 6.5 to 11 meters. The Port of Skikda’s mixed port offers a total of almost 497 thousand square meters of storage space, including 199 thousand square meters within the port property. The new port contains almost 1.9 thousand meters of quay with alongside depth of from 10 to 16 meters. Covering 56 hectares of water surface, the new port contains seven wharves and 24 thousand square meters of storage space.

The Port of Skikda covers 198 thousand square meters of commercial surface within the port property. Outside the port proper, there are more than 298 square meters of commercial surface.

The City of Skikda (French), known as Philippeville until 1962, is a wonderful coastal city with beautiful beaches and lots of sun. It is a popular vacation spot for Algerians, and the city is developing its tourism industry.

One popular tourist area is Collo in western Skikda. It offers long clean sand beaches and beautiful views of the sea. The Bay of Collo is one of Algeria’s most beautiful bays, and it’s near a forested area for hiking, hunting, and adventures. The area is also blessed with many historic and cultural sites.

Stora, the Port of Skikda’s second port, holds the fishing and pleasure-craft port. It also holds many reminders of its Phoenician and Roman history. With three kilometers of unspoiled beaches, Stora is the doorway to the island of Serigina.

Just 65 kilometers east of the Port of Skikda is the seaside resort of Marsa. With beautiful beaches, Marsa borders a huge wetland of rivers and lakes perfect for ecotourism, fishing, and hunting.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning to US citizens, recommending they avoid travel in Algeria. When they must travel to the country, the State Department recommends staying in hotels with strong security and maintaining a low profile to avoid becoming the target of violence. Americans who chose to travel to Algeria are advised to register with the embassy in Algiers and to regularly check the State Department’s travel advisory website.