Mostaganem is a Mediterranean sea port and the capital city of the Mostaganem province in northwest Algeria. Located in the Gulf of Arzew, it is situated approximately 72 kilometres east-northeast of Oran. As of the 2019 census, the city had a population of 406,190 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the country's northwest and Algeria's fourth-largest port city.
The city's history dates back to Punic and Roman times, with its founding in the 11th century as Murustage. In 1516, the Ottoman admiral Barbarossa captured the city, which subsequently became a commercial port and a center for Mediterranean Sea corsairs. It came under formal Ottoman rule by 1700 before being taken by France in 1833 to establish a garrison. Algeria gained independence in 1962.