الخلاصة:
The North African coast witnessed an unprecedented urban development during the early Ottoman period as a result of the exodus of a large number of Andalusians refugees. Many maritime cities expanded after their liberation from the Spanish occupation, and new cities emerged, while some archaeological sites of vanished cities emerged thanks to the presence of building materials in the sites and the existence of the previous infrastructure.
Ottoman rulers had a prominent role in hosting Andalusian refugees and their settling in the region since the first period of its annexing to the Ottoman Empire. Cities expanded, provided with defense and civil services, and managed throughout the Ottoman period.
The interaction of geographical and historical factors is one of the drivers of this urbanization, which drew the features of the human map in current days. The attachment of cities to maritime activities had its impact on the cultural, social and economic diversity of the Central Maghreb and its openness to the Mediterranean countries and to the world. Therefore, shedding light on this period enables researchers to understand the pattern of distribution of cities on the one hand, and the stages of their inception, growth and development on the other hand.
