Zemmouri

The coastal site of Zemmouri El-Bahri was a Phoenician and later Roman settlement named Rusubbicari.[2] In the medieval period, it became a small port named Marsā al-Dajāj (literally "chicken port"). Archeological research there has uncovered medieval structures and pottery, as well as Roman coins.[3]

By the 19th century the main village, slightly further inland, was known as Zemmouri (usually spelled Zamouri or Zemouri at the time). In 1872 the French government established a colonial settlement there using land confiscated from the Isser el-Ouidan tribe and from private individuals in the wake of the Mokrani Revolt[4]; in 1886 it was renamed Courbet, after Admiral Amédée Courbet.[5] Following Algeria's independence in 1962, the name Zemmouri was restored.

The disastrous 2003 Boumerdès earthquake led to the discovery of a thrust fault; it was subsequently named after the town. The fault has since been incorporated into seismic hazard maps, which will serve as an important guideline for public safety.[6]

To the northwest of the town, the Sahel Forest and the coastal dunes on which it grows are dominated by Aleppo pine and other Mediterranean maquis flora, and constitute a tourist attraction.[7]

• Abdelhafid Benchabla, boxer
• Ali Rial, footballer