List of Algerians

Notable Algerians include:

Artists

Writers (including poets)

Assia Djebar

Moufdi Zakaria

• Ferhat Abbas (1899–1995), political leader and essayist
• Abdelkader Alloula (born 1939), playwright
• Malek Alloula (born 1937), poet, writer, and critic
• Djamal Amrani (1935–2005), poet and essayist
• Jean Amrouche (1906–1962), 20th-century poet and writer
• Taos Amrouche (1913–1976), singer and writer
• Apuleius (c. 125–c. 180 C.E.), Latin prose writer
• Mohammed Arkoun (born 1928), scholar and thinker
• Zighen Aym (born 1957), writer and engineer
• Farida Belghoul (born 1958), author
• Omar Belhouchet (born 1954), journalist
• Mohammed Benchicou (born 1952), director and publisher of the Algerian newspaper Le Matin
• Salah Benlabed (born 1950), architect, academic, novelist and poet
• Latifa Ben Mansour (born 1950), writer, psychoanalyst, and linguist
• Malek Bennabi (born 1905), writer and philosopher
• Rachid Boudjedra (born 1941), poet, novelist, playwright and critic
• Hélène Cixous, feminist writer
• Mohammed Dib (1920–2003), 20th-century writer
• Tahar Djaout (1954–1993), poet, journalist, critic
• Assia Djebar (born 1936), novelist, translator and filmmaker
• Mouloud Feraoun (1913–1962), writer and independence war hero
• Miloud Hmida (born 1961), poet, critic, translator
• Yasmina Khadra (also known as Mohamed Moulessehoul) (born 1955), writer
• Rachid Mimouni (1945–1995), writer, poet
• Ahlam Mostaghanemi, writer
• Kateb Yacine (1929–1989), 20th-century writer
• Moufdi Zakaria (1908–1977), lyricist of the Algerian national anthem "Kassaman"

New media

• Maurice Benayoun, artist and theorist
• Yves Saint Laurent (designer), clothing and fashion designer

Actors

Patrick Bruel

• Hadj Abderrahmane, actor, comedian^[1]
• Allalou, playwright, theatre director, and actor known as the father of Algerian theater
• Mahieddine Bachtarzi, singer of opera (tenor), actor, writer, and director of the TNA (Théâtre National Algérien)
• Jean-Pierre Bacri, actor and screenwriter
• M'hamed Benguettaf, actor and playwright
• Jean Benguigui, stage, screen, and television actor
• Biyouna, female actor, dancer, comedian
• Mohamed Bouchaïb, Libya-born Algerian actor
• Patrick Bruel, singer, actor, and professional poker player
• Alain Chabat, actor and director
• Mohamed Chouikh, film-maker
• Mohamed Fellag, actor and comedian
• Khaled Habib, singer, songwriter, composer, actor, film director
• Roger Hanin, film actor and director
• Sid Ali Kouiret, actor
• Rachid Ksentini, actor and comedian
• Rouiched, comedy actor
• Lyes Salem, actor and film director
• Hadj Smaine Mohamed Seghir, actor, director, and man of stage
• Patrick Timsit, comedian, writer, and film director
• Larbi Zekkal, actor and comedian

Directors and filmmakers

• Merzak Allouache, film director
• Abdelkader Alloula, theatre producer
• Jean-Luc Azoulay, television producer
• Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, film director, Palme d'Or at the 1975 Cannes Festival
• Ahmed Rachedi, film director–producer, pioneer of Algerian cinema

Illustrators

• Ali Dilem, editorial cartoonist

Leaders and politicians

Ancient Algeria

Juba II

• Juba I, 1st-century BC, King of Numidia under Roman rule
• Juba II, 1st-century BC, King of Numidia under Roman rule
• Jugurtha, 2nd-century BC, King of Numidia
• Massinissa, 3rd-century BC, King of Numidia
• Tacfarinas, leader of a rebellion against the Romans

Early Islamic Algeria

• Buluggin ibn Ziri, 10th-century prince; founder of the city of Algiers (Ed'Zayer in Algerian Arabic refers to his father Ziri ibn Menad, founder of the Zirid dynasty)

Ottoman Algeria

• Hassan Agha, 16th-century Prince of Algiers; defeated Emperor Charles V in Algiers
• Baba Aruj, 16th-century corsair; leader of the Regency of Algiers
• Hayreddin Barbarossa, brother and successor of Aruj
• Rais Hamidou, last great leader of the Algerian Corsair Navy

Algeria under French colonization

• Emir Abdelkader, 19th-century leader of the resistance against French colonisation
• Hadj Ahmed Bey, last Bey of Constantine; fought the French Army during two sieges in 1836 and 1837
• Messali Hadj, founder of the first North African and then Algerian Nationalist Parties
• Lalla Fatma N'Soumer, 19th-century female leader of the Kabyle resistance against the French

Revolutionary War of Independence

• Ferhat Abbas, president of the provisional government of Algeria before independence, 1958–1961
• Colonel Amirouche, independence war hero
• Ali Ammar, also known as Ali la Pointe; independence war hero
• Krim Belkacem, independence war hero; vice president of the provisional government of Algeria
• Mostefa Benboulaid, Commander of Zone 1 during the independence war
• Hassiba Benbouali, female hero of the independence war
• Djamila Bouhired, female hero of the revolution
• Larbi Ben M'hidi, Commander of Zone 5 during the independence war
• Abane Ramdane, political leader of the independence war; author of the "political over military" and "interior over exterior" principles
• Yacef Saadi, fighter in the independence war in the 1957 Battle of Algiers; actor in the 1966 war film by the same name after independence

Independent Algeria

Ahmed Ben Bella

• Hocine Ait Ahmed, political leader and head of the Socialist Forces Front opposition party (also a prominent independence war leader)
• Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria's first President, 1962–1965
• Chadli Bendjedid, President of Algeria, 1979–1992
• Rabah Bitat, vice president of Algeria's first government, president of parliament
• Mohamed Boudiaf, President of Algeria, 1992 (also a prominent Independence war leader)
• Houari Boumedienne, President of Algeria, 1965–1978
• Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President since 1999
• Lakhdar Brahimi, former Foreign Affairs Minister, Peace Envoy in Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq
• Abdallah Djaballah, founder and leader of Al-Islah party
• Louisa Hanoune, founder and female leader of the PT (Workers Party)
• Abassi Madani, founder and leader of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) party
• Redha Malek, founder and leader of the ANR party
• Mahfoud Nahnah, founder and former leader of the HMS party
• Ahmed Ouyahia, former Prime Minister
• Said Sadi, founder and leader of the RCD party
• Liamine Zeroual, President of Algeria, 1994–1999

Martyrs

• Colonel Amirouche
• Hassiba Ben Bouali
• Larbi Ben M'hidi
• Cheikh Bouamama
• Houari Boumédiène
• Mohamed Chabani
• Mourad Didouche
• Zighoud Youcef
• Ahmed Zabana
• Moufdi Zakaria

Scientists and philosophers

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji

• Mohamed Arkoun, author, philosopher, historian
• Henri Atlan, biophysicist and philosopher
• Malek Bennabi, social and religious philosopher
• Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, physicist, Nobel prize (1997)
• Jacques Derrida, deconstructionist philosopher
• Frantz Fanon, psychologist
• Mouloud Mammeri, anthropologist, linguist, poet, writer
• Elias Zerhouni, radiologist and medical researcher

Military and intelligence services

• José Aboulker, member of the anti-Nazi resistance; later a neurosurgeon and political figure in France
• Larbi Belkheir, (Aboulker) former general, Ambassador to Morocco
• Mohamed Lamari, former Chief of Staff of the People's National Army
• Smain Lamari, head of the Department of Counter-Espionage and Internal Security
• Mohamed Mediène ("Toufik"), head of the Department of Information and Security
• Khaled Nezzar, retired general

Musicians and singers

Berber

• Lili Boniche, singer of Andalusian-Arab music
• Aïssa Djermouni, singer, poet
• Idir, singer, musician, composer
• Matoub Lounes, rebel singer of Kabyle music
• Lounis Ait Menguellet, singer, poet, musician
• Takfarinas, singer

Classical

El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka

• El Hachemi Guerouabi, musician and reformer of the Chaabi classical style
• Dahmane El Harrachi, singer, composer and songwriter of Chaabi music
• El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka, the Grand Master of Andalusian classical music and Chaabi (Algeria) music.
• Warda Al-Jazairia, singer
• Boudjemaâ El Ankis, singer, musician, a performer of chaâbi music
• Kamel Messaoudi, performer of chaâbi music
• Abdelkader Chaou, chaabi music interpreter
• Cheikh El Hasnaoui, singer
• Hadj Bouchiba, songwriter, lyricist, composer, poet and painter
• Reda Doumaz, singer
• Mustapha Skandrani, pianist, performer of chaâbi music
• Khelifa Belkacem, singer
• Hsissen, singer
• Farid Ali, singer
• Hadj M'rizek, songwriter, lyricist, composer, poet and painter
• Hadj Menouar, singer

Jazz

• Franck Amsallem, jazz pianist, arranger, composer and singer
• Michel Benita, double bass player
• Martial Solal, jazz pianist and composer

Musiques du monde

• Djamel Laroussi, singer, composer, songwriter, arranger and guitar player^[2]

Pop

• Baaziz, singer
• Enrico Macias (Gaston Ghrenassia), singer
• Souad Massi, singer
• Line Monty (Eliane Sarfati), singer
• Rajae El Mouhandiz, Dutch/Moroccan/Algerian singer, recording artist, producer and poet; 2009, 2010, 2011 only contemporary female singer on the list of the world's 500 most influential Muslims^[3]
• Zaho, singer

Rai

• Raïna Raï, band^[4]
• Khaled, raï musician, also known as Khaled El Hadj Brahim
• Safy Boutella, musician, composer
• Cheb Hasni, raï musician
• Cheb Mami, raï musician, also known as Mohamed Khelifati
• Faudel, raï musician
• Cheikha Rimitti, rai musician
• Rachid Taha, raï–rock musician
• Cheb Tarik, raï musician

Rock

• Rachid Taha, singer, musician

Religious figures

• Abdelkader El Djezairi, religious and military leader, An Islamic scholar and Sufi
• Messali Hadj, nationalist politician
• Augustine of Hippo, Christian theologian

Scholars and academics

Economists

• Jacques Attali, economist, writer, and senior civil servant

Historians

• Mohamed Harbi independence war historian

Sports

Association football

Rabah Madjer

• William Ayache, footballer
• Lakhdar Belloumi, footballer; world cup participation in 1982, 1986
• Zahir Belounis, footballer
• Abdelaziz Ben Tifour, footballer; one of the founders of the Algerian football team
• Karim Benzema, French national footballer; parents are Algerian
• Said Brahimi, footballer; one of the founders of the Algerian football team
• Ali Fergani, footballer and trainer
• Rabah Gamouh, international footballer; finished twice as the top scorer of the Algerian Champion at National with 25 goals in 1970/71 and 24 goals in 1971/72
• Abdelhamid Kermali, footballer; one of the founders of the Algerian football team
• Mahieddine Khalef, footballer and trainer
• Rabah Madjer, footballer; played in two World Cup games with Algeria, European champion with Porto, etc.
• Rachid Mekhloufi, footballer; one of the founders of the Algerian football team
• Samir Nasri, French national footballer; parents are Algerian
• Islam Slimani, Algerian national footballer; his goal against Russia 1-1 (World Cup 2014) put Algeria into the history of World Cup by arriving to the 2nd tour for the first time ever
• Mohamed Yahi, footballer for JS Kabylie and NA Hussein Dey
• Karim Ziani, Algerian national footballer; world cup participation in 2010
• Zinedine Zidane, French national footballer; parents are Algerian

Athletics

• Hassiba Boulmerka, athlete; 1500 m world and Olympic champion
• Taoufik Makhloufi, athlete; 1500 m Olympic champion
• Nouria Mérah-Benida, athlete; 1500 m Olympic champion
• Noureddine Morceli, athlete; 1500 m world and Olympic champion
• Artur Partyka, Polish high jumper; father is Algerian

Boxing

Abdelhafid Benchabla

• Abdelhafid Benchabla
• Robert Cohen, world-champion bantamweight boxer
• Alphonse Halimi ("la Petite Terreur"), world-champion bantamweight boxer

Fencing

• Tahar Hamou, foil fencer
• Anissa Khelfaoui, foil fencer
• Ferial Salhi, foil fencer

Ice hockey

• Josef Boumedienne, professional ice hockey player; Algerian and Finnish descent
• Yassine Fahas, ice hockey player; one of the original members of the Algerian national ice hockey team
• Karim Kerbouche, Algerian ice hockey player; founder of the Algerian national ice hockey team
• Harond Litim, ice hockey player; one of the original members of the Algerian national ice hockey team

Other sports

• Ali Boulala, professional skateboarder; Algerian and Swedish descent
• Sofia Boutella, rhythmic gymnast; in France, appeared in several Nike commercials; model for H&M; French national of Algerian descent
• Alfred Nakache, Olympian world champion swimmer and water polo player

Criminals

• Djamel Beghal, French Algerian convicted of terrorism
• Abdul Nacer Benbrika, found guilty of being the leader of a terrorist organisation
• Mokhtar Belmokhtar, sentenced to death for murder and terrorism
• Slimane Khalfaoui, French-Algerian terrorist convicted of the Strasbourg cathedral bombing plot
• Ahmed Ressam, Algerian al-Qaeda member convicted of attempting to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport on New Year's Eve 1999
• Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud, leader of the Algerian Islamic militant group Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb

See also

• List of Algerian women artists
• List of people by nationality

References

1. fr:Hadj Abderrahmane
2. "Biographie De Djamel Laroussi". arabestar.com.
3. Official Website of The Muslim500. http://www.themuslim500com. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
4. Raïna Raï songs – maghrebspace.com