Qal'at Bani Hammad, also known as Qal'a Bani Hammad or Qal'at of the Beni Hammad, is a fortified palatine city in Algeria. Now in ruins, in the 11th century, it served as the first capital of the Hammadid dynasty. It is in the Hodna Mountains northeast of M'Sila, at an elevation of 1,418 metres, and receives abundant water from the surrounding mountains. The si…Qal'at Bani Hammad, also known as Qal'a Bani Hammad or Qal'at of the Beni Hammad, is a fortified palatine city in Algeria. Now in ruins, in the 11th century, it served as the first capital of the Hammadid dynasty. It is in the Hodna Mountains northeast of M'Sila, at an elevation of 1,418 metres, and receives abundant water from the surrounding mountains. The site is near the town of Maadid, about 225 kilometres southeast of Algiers, in the Maghreb.