Pre-colonial period

Very few writings relate the pre-construction of Perregaux. What is certain is that the whole region was a scrubby plain populated with tamarind woods difficult to access because in rainy season, it was likely to retain water. Swamps swarmed in the plain of El Habra. Mosquitoes and dangerous animals made the setting up of an urban gathering technically difficult; according to the means available before the industrial revolution. The tribes who lived in the heights of the plain could graze their herds of oxen and sheep and cultivate on the borders of cereals.

Some historians (Robert Thintoi) assume that the ancient Roman city could be built on the current Mohammadia.

The town served as an agricultural hub during the French colonial period and has continued to do so in modern times, especially for its production of citrus fruits.

In 1865, the French colonial administration constructed the Farquq dam on the Oued El-Hammam south of town, which has since burst its banks three times, in 1872, 1881, and 1927, all times seriously damaging parts of Mohammadia.