The Hammadid Dynasty, a subsect of the Zirid Empire, was an ancient civilization that occupied what is now present-day Algeria. Similar to the Zirid, the Hammadid were part of the Ṣanhājah Amazigh and followed Shi’a Islam until their independence in 1048. Skilled both architecturally and agriculturally, the Hammadid empire survived even their predecessors, escaping initial attempts by the Fatimid Caliphate to reconquer them. During their reign, the Hammadids were active traders, operating out of Bejaïa and ushering Algeria into an age of commercial prosperity, similar to, if not eclipsing the Zirid’s. The Hammadid Dynasty existed for nearly 150 years. Thank you to Cullan Quitmeyer for this fascinating article.