Biskra: Difference between revisions
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{{Incomprehensible|reason=much of the article appears to have been written without a firm grasp of English|date=September 2019|talk=Aborted Copy Edit}} |
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{{Expand French|Biskra|date=September 2019|topic=geo}} |
{{Expand French|Biskra|date=September 2019|topic=geo}} |
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{{More citations needed|date=September 2019}} |
{{More citations needed|date=September 2019}} |
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<!--See the Table at Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage--> |
<!--See the Table at Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage--> |
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<!-- Basic info ----------------> |
<!-- Basic info ----------------> |
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|name = Biskra |
| name = Biskra |
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|native_name = بسكرة |
| native_name = بسكرة |
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|settlement_type = City |
| settlement_type = City |
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|other_name = |
| other_name = |
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<!-- images and maps -----------> |
<!-- images and maps -----------> |
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|image_skyline = Biskra photo pano.jpg |
| image_skyline = Biskra photo pano.jpg |
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| imagesize = 300px |
| imagesize = 300px |
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|image_caption = From left to right, and from top to bottom: A [[Cactus|fig cactus]] from [[Mexico]], Sidi Yahia Hotel (4 stars), A [[Comptoir national d'escompte de Paris|CNEP bank]], The USB foot club, the Ziban garden park aqua, [[Aures, Algeria|The Zabs mountains]] which surround the city. |
| image_caption = From left to right, and from top to bottom: A [[Cactus|fig cactus]] from [[Mexico]], Sidi Yahia Hotel (4 stars), A [[Comptoir national d'escompte de Paris|CNEP bank]], The USB foot club, the Ziban garden park aqua, [[Aures, Algeria|The Zabs mountains]] which surround the city. |
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|image_flag = |
| image_flag = |
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|flag_size = |
| flag_size = |
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|image_seal = |
| image_seal = |
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|seal_size = |
| seal_size = |
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|image_shield = |
| image_shield = |
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|shield_size = |
| shield_size = |
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|image_blank_emblem = |
| image_blank_emblem = |
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|blank_emblem_type = |
| blank_emblem_type = |
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|blank_emblem_size = |
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|image_map = DZ-07 Biskra.svg |
| image_map = DZ-07 Biskra.svg |
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|mapsize = 180 |
| mapsize = 180 |
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|map_caption = |
| map_caption = |
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|pushpin_map = Algeria |
| pushpin_map = Algeria |
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|pushpin_mapsize = 300px |
| pushpin_mapsize = 300px |
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|pushpin_label_position = above |
| pushpin_label_position = above |
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|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Algeria |
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Algeria |
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<!-- Location ------------------> |
<!-- Location ------------------> |
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|subdivision_type = Country |
| subdivision_type = Country |
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|subdivision_name = {{flag|Algeria}} |
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Algeria}} |
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|subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Algeria|Province]] |
| subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Algeria|Province]] |
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|subdivision_name1 = [[Biskra Province]] |
| subdivision_name1 = [[Biskra Province]] |
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|subdivision_type2 = District |
| subdivision_type2 = District |
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|subdivision_name2 = [[Biskra District]] |
| subdivision_name2 = [[Biskra District]] |
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|subdivision_type3 = |
| subdivision_type3 = |
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|subdivision_name3 = |
| subdivision_name3 = |
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<!-- Politics -----------------> |
<!-- Politics -----------------> |
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|government_footnotes = |
| government_footnotes = |
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|government_type = |
| government_type = |
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|leader_title = |
| leader_title = |
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|leader_name = [[Hamza Loucif]] |
| leader_name = [[Hamza Loucif]] |
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|established_title = |
| established_title = |
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|established_date = |
| established_date = |
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<!-- Area ---------------------> |
<!-- Area ---------------------> |
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|area_magnitude = |
| area_magnitude = |
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|unit_pref = |
| unit_pref = |
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|area_footnotes = |
| area_footnotes = |
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|area_total_km2 = 127.55 |
| area_total_km2 = 127.55 |
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|area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion--> |
| area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion--> |
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|area_water_km2 = |
| area_water_km2 = |
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|area_total_sq_mi = |
| area_total_sq_mi = |
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|area_land_sq_mi = |
| area_land_sq_mi = |
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|area_water_sq_mi = |
| area_water_sq_mi = |
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|area_water_percent = |
| area_water_percent = |
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|area_metro_km2 = |
| area_metro_km2 = |
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|area_metro_sq_mi = |
| area_metro_sq_mi = |
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<!-- Population -----------------------> |
<!-- Population -----------------------> |
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|population_as_of |
| population_as_of = 2007 |
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|population_footnotes |
| population_footnotes = |
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|population_note |
| population_note = |
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|population_total |
| population_total = 204661 |
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|population_density_km2 |
| population_density_km2 = auto |
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|population_density_sq_mi |
| population_density_sq_mi = |
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|population_metro |
| population_metro = 307987 |
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|population_density_metro_km2 = |
| population_density_metro_km2 = |
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|population_density_metro_sq_mi = |
| population_density_metro_sq_mi = |
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|population_urban |
| population_urban = |
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|population_density_urban_km2 = |
| population_density_urban_km2 = |
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|population_density_urban_sq_mi = |
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = |
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<!-- General information ---------------> |
<!-- General information ---------------> |
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|timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]] |
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]] |
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|utc_offset = +1 |
| utc_offset = +1 |
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|timezone_DST = |
| timezone_DST = |
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|utc_offset_DST = |
| utc_offset_DST = |
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|coordinates = {{coord|34|51|N|5|44|E|region:DZ|display=inline}} |
| coordinates = {{coord|34|51|N|5|44|E|region:DZ|display=inline}} |
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|elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags--> |
| elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags--> |
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|elevation_m = 87 |
| elevation_m = 87 |
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|elevation_ft = |
| elevation_ft = |
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<!-- Area/postal codes & others --------> |
<!-- Area/postal codes & others --------> |
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|postal_code_type = Postal code |
| postal_code_type = Postal code |
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|postal_code = 07000 |
| postal_code = 07000 |
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|area_code = |
| area_code = 033 |
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|blank_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]] |
| blank_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]] |
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|blank_info = [[Desert climate#Hot desert climates|BWh]] |
| blank_info = [[Desert climate#Hot desert climates|BWh]] |
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|blank1_name = Major Airport |
| blank1_name = Major Airport |
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|blank1_info = [[Biskra Airport]] |
| blank1_info = [[Biskra Airport]] |
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|website = [https://www.facebook.com/Biskra/] |
| website = [https://www.facebook.com/Biskra/] |
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|footnotes = |
| footnotes = |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Biskra''' ({{langx|ar|بسكرة }}) is the capital city of [[Biskra Province]], Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern [[Algeria]], about {{convert|248|mi|km}} from [[Algiers]], {{convert|71|mi|km}} southwest of [[Batna, Algeria|Batna]] and {{convert|137|mi|km}} north of [[Touggourt]]. It is nicknamed "The Queen of the Zibans", "The Door of the Desert" or "The Saharan Nice" because of its location at the beginning of [[Sahara|the Sahara Desert]]. Due to its geographical location, its climate and natural resources, particularly farming, Biskra has always been a crossroad between the cities in the north and south. It has seen the passage of several civilizations, from [[Ancient Rome|the Romans]] and [[the Arabs]] to the French. |
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In 1844, Biskra became a French [[garrison]],<ref name="WDL2">{{cite web |url = http://www.wdl.org/en/item/8784/ |title = Market, Biskra, Algeria |website = [[World Digital Library]] |year = 1899 |access-date = 25 September 2013 }}</ref> which saw fighting during rebellions in 1849 and 1871.<ref name="MW 1935">{{cite book | title=The Modern world encyclopedia : illustrated | publisher=Home Entertainment Library | year=1935 | oclc=1091880941 }}</ref> |
In 1844, Biskra became a French [[garrison]],<ref name="WDL2">{{cite web |url = http://www.wdl.org/en/item/8784/ |title = Market, Biskra, Algeria |website = [[World Digital Library]] |year = 1899 |access-date = 25 September 2013 }}</ref> which saw fighting during rebellions in 1849 and 1871.<ref name="MW 1935">{{cite book | title=The Modern world encyclopedia : illustrated | publisher=Home Entertainment Library | year=1935 | oclc=1091880941 }}</ref> |
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Currently the city of Biskra has 28 neighborhoods, including the three principal neighborhoods of |
Currently the city of Biskra has 28 neighborhoods, including the three principal neighborhoods of Korra, City 60 Logements, and Equipment Zones. It is in the southern part of the Algerian rail system, and has become a popular winter resort. |
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== Etymology == |
== Etymology == |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2019}} |
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2019}} |
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The city has been known by |
The city has been known by many names, including Biskra, Sokkra, Vescra, Vecera, Vescera, Adbesran. Historians do not agree on the origins of the current name. Some{{Who|date=September 2019}} say its name comes from "Vescera", which means "station" or "place" of commercial exchange, due to its location connecting north and south. The Roman leader Betolimih Benyouba named it "the river of destiny" because of the Sidi Zarzour (its current name) that crosses the city.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}} |
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Some researchers{{Who|date=September 2019}} say that its name |
Some researchers{{Who|date=September 2019}} say that its name was derived from the ancient [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] name "Adebesran" because of the geothermal source that is located near the city, known as Salhine Hammam. Other sources{{Who|date=September 2019}} say that the name comes from the word "Sokkra" because of the quality of the sweet dates in the city's oases. Still others{{Who|date=September 2019}} claim that the current name was given to the city by the Carthaginians. |
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In honor of the city, the name was |
In honor of the city, the name was given to an oasis, [[Indio Hills|Biskra Palms]], near [[Palm Springs, California]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gunther |first1=Jane Davies |title=Riverside County, California, Place Names; Their Origins and Their Stories |date=1984 |location=Riverside, California |pages=53–54}}</ref> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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=== Gaetuli === |
=== Gaetuli === |
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The [[Gaetuli]] first appeared in North Africa during the 3rd millennium BC. They settled |
The [[Gaetuli]] first appeared in North Africa during the 3rd millennium BC. They settled in a large territory south of the Roman provinces of Africa and [[Mauritania]].{{Clarify|reason=|date=September 2019}} According to the Greek historian [[Strabo]], they were the most numerous people of North Africa yet the least known. Among the oldest references to the Gaetuli are those of the [[Carthaginians]], who indicated that the Prince of the Gaetuli proposed to marry Élyssa (or [[Dido]] for the Romans), the founding queen of [[Carthage]] (present-day [[Tunisia]]) around 815 BC. However, references in ancient Egypt of certain tribes go back to 1350 BC, during the reign of [[Akhenaten]] of the eighteenth dynasty, speak of cattle trade with this people. |
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The |
The Gaetuli are probably the origin of [[Berber calendar|the Berber calendar]], which begins around 943–949 BC, which would be after the victory of a coalition of Gétules over [[Egypt|the Egyptians]]. This coalition, formed by the North African tribes, left southwestern Algeria, increasing its force as it passed through North Africa. The coalition led by [[Shoshenq]] (Berber name: Sheshnaq) defeated Pharaoh [[Psusennes II]]. Following this victory, Sheshnaq married the pharaoh's daughter, settled on the throne of Egypt under the name of Sheshonq in 952 BC, and founded the [[Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt|22nd Dynasty]]. This biblical event is mentioned in the [[Old Testament]], which speaks of the pillaging of this leader of the [[Machaouach]] tribe. |
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While traversing the desert, the Gaetuli arrived with the [[Taureg]] at [[Tassili]], where they stayed for an extended time and subsequently mixed with the Tuareg and learned the [[Tamazight]] language for cultural and commercial exchanges. However, the Gaetuli eventually began to feel out of place and decided to continue north. |
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The Gétules are the Berber nomads of the pre-Saharan of North Africa and speak the Berber language with some variations. They came from the desert of the Caspian Sea (the world's largest inland sea, bordering present-day Iran) and were forced to migrate following the destruction of a natural dam that left them without a water source for their livestock. Specialists of the desert life, they first settled on the edge of the Nile. However, the Pharaohs hunted them in the sixth century BC. |
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| ⚫ | In Algeria, they settled at the edge of the [[Aures]], where they posed problems to Roman infiltration in the 3rd century BC as they were stellar horsemen and became dreaded in combat. It was necessary to involve a late [[Roman Empire|Roman]] politician, [[Gaius Marius]], to negotiate exploration of the South against concessions of agricultural land around [[Cirta]] and [[Setifis]], at the time under Roman rule; a trick of dispersing them and so diminished in their strength. Thus, the Gétule were occupied by the Romans. |
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Always while traversing the desert, arrived until Tassili with the Touaregs where they stayed a long time, got mixed up with the Touaregs and learned the Tamazigh language for reasons of communication, cultural and commercial exchanges. Unfortunately felt like "Gringos" in these places, decided to continue path until "The Promised Land": |
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| ⚫ | The city of Biskra experienced many violent wars during the Roman colonization, including the resistance war led by the Berber leader [[Tacfarinas]], followed by his successor, the militant [[Jugurtha]] "Youghorta". With the help of the inhabitants of the city, who provided human and material support, Jugurtha destroyed the Roman army at the end of the so-called Numidia region. |
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and so diminished in their strength. Thus, the Gétulie was occupied by the Romans (Biskra and its environs). This is what I learned from Charles Andrés Julien and Courteau, both history teachers at the Sorbonne and specialists in North Africa. |
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| ⚫ | The city of Biskra experienced many |
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===The Vandals in the 4th century=== |
===The Vandals in the 4th century=== |
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The [[Vandals]] "Oundals" invaded the city of Biskra and occupied all its land, but the resistance and continuous fighting of its inhabitants forced the Vandals to integrate with them. After a few decades, the Romans took over the city, where they built obstacles to protect themselves from the vengeance of the population. |
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After a few decades, the Romans took over the direction of the city where they built obstacles to protect themselves from the vengeance of the population. |
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===The arrival of the Arab conqueror Uqba ibn Nafi al-Fihri in the 7th century |
===The arrival of the Arab conqueror Uqba ibn Nafi al-Fihri in the 7th century=== |
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They remained with such vigilance until the arrival of the Arab conqueror [[Uqba ibn Nafi|Uqba ibn Nafi al-Fihri]] in the 7th century AD. During this period, the whole area came under |
They remained with such vigilance until the arrival of the Arab conqueror [[Uqba ibn Nafi|Uqba ibn Nafi al-Fihri]] in the 7th century AD. During this period, the whole area came under the Arab-Muslim monarchy. After 20 years of conquest, Uqba ibn Nafi died in 683 AD when he returned from Morocco with his army. His death was organized by an ambush mounted by his adversary, the Numidian prince (Berber) Koceila and his army at [[Battle of Vescera|Tahouda]], a small village located 5 km from the oasis "[[Sidi Okba]]". His body was buried in the mosque of the city that took his name. According to the imam of this mosque, it contains more than 300 tombs and is the 4th holy place of [[Islam]], after [[Mecca]], [[Medina]] and [[Al-Aqsa Compound|Aksa]]. |
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In the early 10th century, Biskra and the entire Ziban area were conquered by the kings of Beni Hammad. |
In the early 10th century, Biskra and the entire Ziban area were conquered by the kings of Beni Hammad. |
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===The Hillal Bannis in the 12th century |
===The Hillal Bannis in the 12th century=== |
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Followed by the Kabyla of Elathbend banished Hilal (Hilalian Arabs) who removed and confiscated the property of the inhabitants. They asked the help of the Almohads of the kingdom of Marrakech in the 12th century |
Followed by the Kabyla of Elathbend banished Hilal (Hilalian Arabs) who removed and confiscated the property of the inhabitants. They asked for the help of the Almohads of the kingdom of Marrakech in the 12th century. |
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===The Hafsids in the 14th century |
===The Hafsids in the 14th century=== |
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In the 14th century |
In the 14th century, the Hafsid arrived in [[Tunisia]] and [[Algeria]]. Biskra became an important hub for the Hafsid of Tunisia where it remained under lure monarchy and direction for a long time then under the authority of the [[Marinid Sultanate]] of [[Fez, Morocco|Fez]] and banned Abd-Elouadi and the Znatiyin of [[Tlemcen]]. |
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===The conquest of the city by the Turks in 1541=== |
===The conquest of the city by the Turks in 1541=== |
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In 1541, the conquest of the city |
In 1541, the Turks began their conquest of the city under the direction of Hocine Agha who defended the city of [[Algiers]] at the time and brought out the strength of Charles Compte of the latter. |
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[[The Ottoman Empire]] remained in the city |
[[The Ottoman Empire]] remained in the city for three centuries until the French colonized it. |
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===French colonization from 1844=== |
===French colonization from 1844=== |
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After the French conquest of Biskra in 1844, the site was fortified to secure the area against uprisings. El-hadj Mohammed Esaghire Elokbi, as the successor to El-Emir Abdelkader waged continued war against the French, attacking the French forces under Lamoriciere on 23 December 1847. Elokbi also opposed the Ben Ghana clan as well as Ahmed Bey's claim as ruler of Constantine. Resistance continued in the Ziban and Aurès |
After the French conquest of Biskra in 1844, the site was fortified to secure the area against uprisings. El-hadj Mohammed Esaghire Elokbi, as the successor to El-Emir Abdelkader, waged continued war against the French, attacking the French forces under Lamoriciere on 23 December 1847. Elokbi also opposed the Ben Ghana clan as well as Ahmed Bey's claim as ruler of Constantine. Resistance continued in the Ziban and Aurès Moufrntains. |
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In Biskra the local chief Bou Zian rallied the people against the palm tax, seizing the moated fortification of Zaatcha 20 km from Biskra. The French marched on Zaatcha, laying siege for months. It finally fell after 53 days of attacks by a French force of 7,000 troops. Bou Zian was killed. The French counted the loss of 2130. French control nonetheless remained tenuous when attacks were mounted again in 1879 at El-kamri. |
In Biskra the local chief Bou Zian rallied the people against the palm tax, seizing the moated fortification of Zaatcha 20 km from Biskra. The French marched on {{ILL|Zaatcha|fr}}, laying siege for months. It finally fell after 53 days of attacks by a French force of 7,000 troops. Bou Zian was killed. The French counted the loss of 2130. French control nonetheless remained tenuous when attacks were mounted again in 1879 at El-kamri. |
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Some 100 years after the battle of Zaatcha, in 1954 Biskra was again the scene of anti-French assaults during the [[Algerian War of Independence]] where house-to-house battles |
Some 100 years after the battle of Zaatcha, in 1954 Biskra was again the scene of anti-French assaults during the [[Algerian War of Independence]] where house-to-house battles cost many lives. |
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===In culture=== |
===In culture=== |
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At the end of the 19th century Biskra, a popular spa town and gateway to the Sahara, became a center for artists and photographers such as Émile Frechon, Alexandre Bougault and Rudolf Lehnert. From 1872 to 1920 the French Count Albert Landon de Longueville hosted in his villa-cum-chateau at Biskra (today Villa Bénévent), nobility, artists and writers, including Béla Bartok, Oscar Wilde, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, André Gide, Nasreddine Dinet, Eugène Fromentin, Karl Marx, Anatole France, Francis James and Henri Matisse. |
At the end of the 19th century Biskra, a popular spa town and gateway to the Sahara, became a center for artists and photographers such as {{ILL|Émile Frechon|fr}}, Alexandre Bougault and [[Rudolf Franz Lehnert]]. From 1872 to 1920 the French Count Albert Landon de Longueville hosted in his villa-cum-chateau at Biskra (today Villa Bénévent), nobility, artists and writers, including [[Béla Bartok]], Oscar Wilde, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, [[André Gide]], Nasreddine Dinet, [[Eugène Fromentin]], [[Karl Marx]], [[Anatole France]], [[Francis James]] and [[Henri Matisse]]. |
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Biskra is the setting of key sections of [[André Gide]]'s 1902 novel ''[[The Immoralist]]'' and lesser known 1897 prose-poem ''[[Les nourritures terrestres]]'' (The Fruits of the Earth), and he visited the town in 1895 (for a fortnight from 31 January) with [[Lord Alfred Douglas]], following a meeting with [[Oscar Wilde]] in [[Blida]] and [[Algiers]].<!-- This was a very significant time for Gide – and he writes about his meetings with Wilde at great length. --> |
Biskra is the setting of key sections of [[André Gide]]'s 1902 novel ''[[The Immoralist]]'' and lesser known 1897 prose-poem ''[[Les nourritures terrestres]]'' (The Fruits of the Earth), and he visited the town in 1895 (for a fortnight from 31 January) with [[Lord Alfred Douglas]], following a meeting with [[Oscar Wilde]] in [[Blida]] and [[Algiers]].<!-- This was a very significant time for Gide – and he writes about his meetings with Wilde at great length. --> |
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The Hungarian composer [[Béla Bartók]] collected traditional music in Biskra in 1913.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}} |
The Hungarian composer [[Béla Bartók]] collected traditional music in Biskra in 1913.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}} |
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The Polish composer [[Karol Szymanowski]], who traveled to North Africa, seemed to have been quite impressed by Biskra. This trip probably aroused |
The Polish composer [[Karol Szymanowski]], who traveled to North Africa, seemed to have been quite impressed by Biskra. This trip probably aroused genuine interest in the North African/ Arabic culture. He composed many pieces influenced by his experience there. He sent a postcard from Biskra on 11 April 1914.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}} |
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Diana Mayo, protagonist of [[Edith Maude Hull]]'s popular 1919 novel ''[[The Sheik (novel)|The Sheik]]'', starts her journey into the desert from Biskra, and in the identically |
Diana Mayo, the protagonist of [[Edith Maude Hull]]'s popular 1919 novel ''[[The Sheik (novel)|The Sheik]]'', starts her journey into the desert from Biskra, and in the identically named 1921 [[silent movie]] ''[[The Sheik (film)|The Sheik]]'' starring [[Rudolph Valentino]] in perhaps his most famous role. |
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Winston Churchill's cousin, |
Winston Churchill's cousin, sculptor and author [[Clare Sheridan]] held a salon in Biskra in the 1920s and 1930s.<ref name=time>{{cite news |title=A Modest Proposal |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,884346,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615031627/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,884346,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 June 2008 |quote=... In Biskra he frequented the Algerian salon of Winston Churchill's cousin, sculptress Clare Sheridan (Arab Interlude). ...|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=March 24, 1941 |access-date=2011-04-19 }}</ref> |
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==Geography== |
==Geography== |
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[[File:Biskra satellite.jpg|thumb|left|Satellite image of Biskra City]] |
[[File:Biskra satellite.jpg|thumb|left|Satellite image of Biskra City]] |
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Biskra is located in the north-east of [[Algeria]], in the district of Biskra. The city lies about 248 |
Biskra is located in the north-east of [[Algeria]], in the district of Biskra. The city lies about {{convert|248|mi|km}} from [[Algiers]], {{convert|71|mi|km}} southwest of [[Batna, Algeria|Batna]] and {{convert|137|mi|km}} north of [[Touggourt]]. She is nicknamed "The Queen of the Zibans", "The door of the desert" or "The Saharan Nice" because of its location which is the beginning of the desert. |
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It is located at an altitude of 87 |
It is located at an altitude of {{convert|87|m|ft|abbr=on}} in the northern part of [[Sahara|the Sahara Desert]]. |
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Apart from the mountains that surround it, the topography of Biskra is generally very flat. Part of the city is surrounded by the Sfa Pass and the [[Aures, Algeria|Ziban Mountains]]. In the outskirts of Biskra, the landscape is very arid with all the same vegetation that vary depending on the location. Small water points can be found in the outskirts of Biskra, especially in the oases and canyons of the mountains around [[El Kantara]]. The prefecture of Biskra is crossed by Oued Labiod waterways, Oued El Arab, Djedi, Oued Meziraâ, Oued El and Oued el Gantara. The city covers an area of 127.55 |
Apart from the mountains that surround it, the topography of Biskra is generally very flat. Part of the city is surrounded by the Sfa Pass and the [[Aures, Algeria|Ziban Mountains]]. In the outskirts of Biskra, the landscape is very arid with all the same vegetation that vary depending on the location. Small water points can be found in the outskirts of Biskra, especially in the oases and canyons of the mountains around [[El Kantara]]. The prefecture of Biskra is crossed by Oued Labiod waterways, Oued El Arab, Djedi, Oued Meziraâ, Oued El and Oued el Gantara. The city covers an area of {{convert|127.55|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. It has a population of 307,987 and is the 10th most populous city. It has a population density of 1,612.0 inhabitants per square meter. The population of Biskra are called Biskri. |
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As in the rest of the country, Biskra does not observe summer time and stays in the same time zone all year round. Whether winter or summer, the time is always the same in Biskra. The sunrise is around 7:41 am to 21 December and 5:24 am on 21 June. The sunset is around 5:30 pm on 21 December and at 7:54 pm on 21 June. |
As in the rest of the country, Biskra does not observe summer time and stays in the same time zone all year round. Whether winter or summer, the time is always the same in Biskra. The sunrise is around 7:41 am to 21 December and 5:24 am on 21 June. The sunset is around 5:30 pm on 21 December and at 7:54 pm on 21 June. |
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===Neighborhoods=== |
===Neighborhoods=== |
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[[File:BiskraNigthStreet.jpg|thumb |
[[File:BiskraNigthStreet.jpg|thumb|Street of Biskra at night]] |
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[[File:Biskra Street.jpg|thumb|right|A street inside University of Biskra]] |
[[File:Biskra Street.jpg|thumb|right|A street inside University of Biskra]]The city of Biskra has gone through three phases before getting to where it is today. Started by the pre-colonial phase which testifies, that the city was pending this period under Roman rule over country of the Berbers, and having taken the role of the capital of southern Numidia, and the |
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[[File:BiskraCenter.jpg|thumb|left|Biskra Sunset from City Center]] |
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The city of Biskra has gone through three phases before getting to where she is today. Started by the pre-colonial phase which testifies, that the city was pending this period under Roman rule over country of the Berbers, and having taken the role of the capital of southern Numidia, and the |
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A very prosperous city, built by the Muslims in the Middle Ages. During [[Turkic peoples|the Turkish]] period the city was hit by epidemics, binding occupiers of the fort to leave the city to settle, in a group scattered the interior of the palm grove, south of the city, around two elements of the form local production, the built environment that are the mosque and seguias, besides the use local building materials. |
A very prosperous city, built by the Muslims in the Middle Ages. During [[Turkic peoples|the Turkish]] period the city was hit by epidemics, binding occupiers of the fort to leave the city to settle, in a group scattered the interior of the palm grove, south of the city, around two elements of the form local production, the built environment that are the mosque and seguias, besides the use local building materials. |
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| Line 200: | Line 192: | ||
===Climate=== |
===Climate=== |
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Biskra has a [[subtropical]] [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh'') typical of the region in which it is found. The city has long and extremely hot summers and short, pleasantly warm winters. In summer, the peaks of heat are among the highest in the country with temperatures that can exceed |
Biskra has a [[subtropical]] [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh'') typical of the region in which it is found. The city has long and extremely hot summers and short, pleasantly warm winters. In summer, the peaks of heat are among the highest in the country with temperatures that can exceed {{convert|49|C|F|abbr=on}} and are similar to cities like [[Luxor]] or [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]. The average peak July temperature, which is the hottest month, is about {{convert|42|C|F|abbr=on}}. On average, the city experiences more than 92 days a year where the temperature is equal to or exceeds {{convert|38|°C|°F|abbr=on}} and nearly 20 days above {{convert|43|C|F|abbr=on}}. In comparison, New York City has had a total of 59 days when the temperature was equivalent to or above {{convert|38|°C|°F|abbr=on}} since 1870. Temperatures generally begin to approach or even exceed {{convert|34|°C|°F|abbr=on}} by April. Biskra is one of the hottest cities in the country when it comes to daytime temperatures. Indeed, this one is often higher than {{convert|27|°C|°F|abbr=on}} during the hottest months. The highest minimum temperature recorded in Biskra was {{convert|37|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 4 July 1993, making it the hottest night ever recorded in the city. On 14 July 1910, the temperature reached {{convert|51|°C|°F|abbr=on}} which is the record of heat in Biskra. |
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[[File:Biskra Haboob.jpg|thumb|right|A 2018 Haboob]] |
[[File:Biskra Haboob.jpg|thumb|right|A 2018 Haboob]] |
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[[File:Biskra parc.jpg|thumb| |
[[File:Biskra parc.jpg|thumb|Rain at Biskra]] |
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The climate is very dry and mostly very clear. Rainfall is limited to only 128.8 mm per year. Precipitation is quite rare despite some showers usually during the coldest months, mainly January and February, where it rains several times in the season, which brings the majority of humidity to Biskra in a year. The highest precipitation record recorded in Biskra in a year is (600.5 mm) in 1910 while the driest year is only (27.7 mm) recorded in 1945. The extreme heat that prevails during the summer can cause violent storms at the end of it and usually occur in September, when the air humidity becomes significantly higher with an average of 41% moisture per year. The month with the highest air rate in Biskra is December with 59% humidity, July is the least heavy month with only 27% on average per year. Aside from rainfall or humidity, sandstorms can occur several times a month and even become [[Haboob]], which can make visibility almost zero. Biskra has a very good duration of sunshine in the year with an average of 3,292 hours of sunshine a year. The wettest month is November with (20.1 mm), while July is the driest month with (1.7 mm). |
The climate is very dry and mostly very clear. Rainfall is limited to only 128.8 mm per year. Precipitation is quite rare despite some showers usually during the coldest months, mainly January and February, where it rains several times in the season, which brings the majority of humidity to Biskra in a year. The highest precipitation record recorded in Biskra in a year is (600.5 mm) in 1910 while the driest year is only (27.7 mm) recorded in 1945. The extreme heat that prevails during the summer can cause violent storms at the end of it and usually occur in September, when the air humidity becomes significantly higher with an average of 41% moisture per year. The month with the highest air rate in Biskra is December with 59% humidity, July is the least heavy month with only 27% on average per year. Aside from rainfall or humidity, sandstorms can occur several times a month and even become [[Haboob]], which can make visibility almost zero. Biskra has a very good duration of sunshine in the year with an average of 3,292 hours of sunshine a year. The wettest month is November with (20.1 mm), while July is the driest month with (1.7 mm). |
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The hot, dry and sunny climate of the city sometimes attracts some inhabitants of the northern regions as in the city of [[Batna, Algeria|Batna]] located 115 km northeast, which experiences fairly icy and wet winters during this period, to enjoy the pleasant weather and sunny in winter. |
The hot, dry and sunny climate of the city sometimes attracts some inhabitants of the northern regions as in the city of [[Batna, Algeria|Batna]] located 115 km northeast, which experiences fairly icy and wet winters during this period, to enjoy the pleasant weather and sunny in winter. |
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On average, Biskra knows no day in the year with a temperature below zero. Moving away from the urban area, the risk of frost may be more frequent and night temperatures are lower. Biskra very rarely experiences freezing days and only occurs occasionally during periods of mild cold weather. what can happen to Biskra and its surroundings. The record for the largest number of frost days recorded at Biskra in a winter is 1980–1981 with 73 days, while the record for the number of consecutive years experiencing freeze-up in Biskra is 1886 years. 1888. The lowest recorded temperature in Biskra was |
On average, Biskra knows no day in the year with a temperature below zero. Moving away from the urban area, the risk of frost may be more frequent and night temperatures are lower. Biskra very rarely experiences freezing days and only occurs occasionally during periods of mild cold weather. what can happen to Biskra and its surroundings. The record for the largest number of frost days recorded at Biskra in a winter is 1980–1981 with 73 days, while the record for the number of consecutive years experiencing freeze-up in Biskra is 1886 years. 1888. The lowest recorded temperature in Biskra was {{convert|-5|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 27 December 1914, while the lowest daily maximum temperature was {{convert|7|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 2 February 1934. |
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{{Weather box |
{{Weather box |
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|location = Biskra ( |
|location = Biskra ([[Biskra Airport]]) (1991–2020, extremes 1878–present) |
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|metric first = yes |
|metric first = yes |
||
|single line = yes |
|single line = yes |
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|Jan record high C = |
|Jan record high C = 29.0 |
||
|Feb record high C = 31.0 |
|Feb record high C = 31.0 |
||
|Mar record high C = 34.8 |
|Mar record high C = 34.8 |
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| Line 228: | Line 220: | ||
|Dec record high C = 27.5 |
|Dec record high C = 27.5 |
||
|year record high C = 51.0 |
|year record high C = 51.0 |
||
|Jan high C = |
|Jan high C = 17.3 |
||
|Feb high C = 19.2 |
|Feb high C = 19.2 |
||
|Mar high C = 23. |
|Mar high C = 23.2 |
||
|Apr high C = |
|Apr high C = 27.1 |
||
|May high C = |
|May high C = 32.5 |
||
|Jun high C = 37. |
|Jun high C = 37.7 |
||
|Jul high C = |
|Jul high C = 41.1 |
||
|Aug high C = 40. |
|Aug high C = 40.3 |
||
|Sep high C = 34.7 |
|Sep high C = 34.7 |
||
|Oct high C = |
|Oct high C = 29.2 |
||
|Nov high C = 22. |
|Nov high C = 22.2 |
||
|Dec high C = 18. |
|Dec high C = 18.0 |
||
|year high C = |
|year high C = |
||
|Jan mean C = |
|Jan mean C = 12.1 |
||
|Feb mean C = 13.6 |
|Feb mean C = 13.6 |
||
|Mar mean C = 17. |
|Mar mean C = 17.3 |
||
|Apr mean C = 21. |
|Apr mean C = 21.1 |
||
|May mean C = |
|May mean C = 26.2 |
||
|Jun mean C = |
|Jun mean C = 31.2 |
||
|Jul mean C = 34.5 |
|Jul mean C = 34.5 |
||
|Aug mean C = 34. |
|Aug mean C = 34.0 |
||
|Sep mean C = |
|Sep mean C = 29.1 |
||
|Oct mean C = 23. |
|Oct mean C = 23.7 |
||
|Nov mean C = |
|Nov mean C = 17.1 |
||
|Dec mean C = |
|Dec mean C = 13.0 |
||
|year mean C = 22. |
|year mean C = 22.7 |
||
|Jan low C = 6. |
|Jan low C = 6.9 |
||
|Feb low C = |
|Feb low C = 8.0 |
||
|Mar low C = 11. |
|Mar low C = 11.4 |
||
|Apr low C = |
|Apr low C = 15.1 |
||
|May low C = |
|May low C = 19.9 |
||
|Jun low C = |
|Jun low C = 24.7 |
||
|Jul low C = 28. |
|Jul low C = 28.0 |
||
|Aug low C = 27. |
|Aug low C = 27.7 |
||
|Sep low C = |
|Sep low C = 23.4 |
||
|Oct low C = 18.1 |
|Oct low C = 18.1 |
||
|Nov low C = |
|Nov low C = 12.0 |
||
|Dec low C = |
|Dec low C = 8.0 |
||
|year low C = |
|year low C = 16.9 |
||
|Jan record low C = -3.0 |
|Jan record low C = -3.0 |
||
|Feb record low C = -0.5 |
|Feb record low C = -0.5 |
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| Line 281: | Line 273: | ||
|year record low C = -5.0 |
|year record low C = -5.0 |
||
|precipitation colour = green |
|precipitation colour = green |
||
|Jan precipitation mm = |
|Jan precipitation mm = 16.0 |
||
|Feb precipitation mm = |
|Feb precipitation mm = 8.4 |
||
|Mar precipitation mm = |
|Mar precipitation mm = 14.7 |
||
|Apr precipitation mm = |
|Apr precipitation mm = 16.6 |
||
|May precipitation mm = 11.1 |
|May precipitation mm = 11.1 |
||
|Jun precipitation mm = |
|Jun precipitation mm = 3.4 |
||
|Jul precipitation mm = |
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.7 |
||
|Aug precipitation mm = |
|Aug precipitation mm = 2.7 |
||
|Sep precipitation mm = |
|Sep precipitation mm = 16.2 |
||
|Oct precipitation mm = |
|Oct precipitation mm = 15.3 |
||
|Nov precipitation mm = |
|Nov precipitation mm = 14.8 |
||
|Dec precipitation mm = 9. |
|Dec precipitation mm = 9.2 |
||
|year precipitation mm = |
|year precipitation mm = 129.1 |
||
|unit precipitation days = |
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |
||
|Jan precipitation days = |
|Jan precipitation days = 2.2 |
||
|Feb precipitation days = |
|Feb precipitation days = 1.6 |
||
|Mar precipitation days = |
|Mar precipitation days = 2.1 |
||
|Apr precipitation days = |
|Apr precipitation days = 2.0 |
||
|May precipitation days = |
|May precipitation days = 1.6 |
||
|Jun precipitation days = |
|Jun precipitation days = 0.6 |
||
|Jul precipitation days = 0. |
|Jul precipitation days = 0.2 |
||
|Aug precipitation days = |
|Aug precipitation days = 0.7 |
||
|Sep precipitation days = |
|Sep precipitation days = 2.9 |
||
|Oct precipitation days = |
|Oct precipitation days = 2.0 |
||
|Nov precipitation days = |
|Nov precipitation days = 1.6 |
||
|Dec precipitation days = |
|Dec precipitation days = 2.0 |
||
|year precipitation days = |
|year precipitation days = 19.5 |
||
|Jan humidity = 57 |
|Jan humidity = 57 |
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|Feb humidity = 50 |
|Feb humidity = 50 |
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| Line 347: | Line 339: | ||
|Decd sun = 6.8 |
|Decd sun = 6.8 |
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|yeard sun = 9.0 |
|yeard sun = 9.0 |
||
|source 1 = [[ |
|source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref>{{cite web |
||
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Algeria/CSV/Biskra_60525.csv |
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| url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=1436 |
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| ⚫ | |||
| title = World Weather Information Service–Biskra |
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| |
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
||
| |
|access-date = 9 October 2023 |
||
|url-status = live |
|||
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-I/AL/60525.TXT |
|||
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231009175132/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Algeria/CSV/Biskra_60525.csv |
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| ⚫ | |||
|archive-date = 9 October 2023 |
|||
| access-date = 11 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=60525&ano=2022&mes=7&day=1&hora=18&min=0&ndays=30|title= 60525: Biskra (Algeria)|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 30 June 2022|website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET |access-date= 3 July 2022|quote=}}</ref> |
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}}</ref> |
|||
|source 2 = Arab Meteorology Book (humidity and sun),<ref name=climate>{{cite web |
|source 2 = Arab Meteorology Book (humidity and sun),<ref name=climate>{{cite web |
||
| url = http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf |
| url = http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf |
||
Latest revision as of 23:33, 21 October 2024
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Biskra
بسكرة | |
|---|---|
City | |
 From left to right, and from top to bottom: A fig cactus from Mexico, Sidi Yahia Hotel (4 stars), A CNEP bank, The USB foot club, the Ziban garden park aqua, The Zabs mountains which surround the city. | |
 | |
  Biskra Location in Algeria | |
| Coordinates: 34°51′N 5°44′E / 34.850°N 5.733°E | |
| Country |  Algeria |
| Province | Biskra Province |
| District | Biskra District |
| Government | |
| Area | |
• City | 127.55 km2 (49.25 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 87 m (285 ft) |
| Population (2007) | |
• City | 204,661 |
| • Density | 1,600/km2 (4,200/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 307,987 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Postal code | 07000 |
| Area code | 033 |
| Climate | BWh |
| Major Airport | Biskra Airport |
| Website | [1] |
Biskra (Arabic: بسكرة) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (399 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (114 km) southwest of Batna and 137 miles (220 km) north of Touggourt. It is nicknamed "The Queen of the Zibans", "The Door of the Desert" or "The Saharan Nice" because of its location at the beginning of the Sahara Desert. Due to its geographical location, its climate and natural resources, particularly farming, Biskra has always been a crossroad between the cities in the north and south. It has seen the passage of several civilizations, from the Romans and the Arabs to the French.
In 1844, Biskra became a French garrison,[1] which saw fighting during rebellions in 1849 and 1871.[2]
Currently the city of Biskra has 28 neighborhoods, including the three principal neighborhoods of Korra, City 60 Logements, and Equipment Zones. It is in the southern part of the Algerian rail system, and has become a popular winter resort.
Etymology
[edit] |
The city has been known by many names, including Biskra, Sokkra, Vescra, Vecera, Vescera, Adbesran. Historians do not agree on the origins of the current name. Some[who?] say its name comes from "Vescera", which means "station" or "place" of commercial exchange, due to its location connecting north and south. The Roman leader Betolimih Benyouba named it "the river of destiny" because of the Sidi Zarzour (its current name) that crosses the city.[citation needed]
Some researchers[who?] say that its name was derived from the ancient Roman name "Adebesran" because of the geothermal source that is located near the city, known as Salhine Hammam. Other sources[who?] say that the name comes from the word "Sokkra" because of the quality of the sweet dates in the city's oases. Still others[who?] claim that the current name was given to the city by the Carthaginians.
In honor of the city, the name was given to an oasis, Biskra Palms, near Palm Springs, California.[3]
History
[edit]
Gaetuli
[edit]The Gaetuli first appeared in North Africa during the 3rd millennium BC. They settled in a large territory south of the Roman provinces of Africa and Mauritania.[clarification needed] According to the Greek historian Strabo, they were the most numerous people of North Africa yet the least known. Among the oldest references to the Gaetuli are those of the Carthaginians, who indicated that the Prince of the Gaetuli proposed to marry Élyssa (or Dido for the Romans), the founding queen of Carthage (present-day Tunisia) around 815 BC. However, references in ancient Egypt of certain tribes go back to 1350 BC, during the reign of Akhenaten of the eighteenth dynasty, speak of cattle trade with this people.
The Gaetuli are probably the origin of the Berber calendar, which begins around 943–949 BC, which would be after the victory of a coalition of Gétules over the Egyptians. This coalition, formed by the North African tribes, left southwestern Algeria, increasing its force as it passed through North Africa. The coalition led by Shoshenq (Berber name: Sheshnaq) defeated Pharaoh Psusennes II. Following this victory, Sheshnaq married the pharaoh's daughter, settled on the throne of Egypt under the name of Sheshonq in 952 BC, and founded the 22nd Dynasty. This biblical event is mentioned in the Old Testament, which speaks of the pillaging of this leader of the Machaouach tribe.
While traversing the desert, the Gaetuli arrived with the Taureg at Tassili, where they stayed for an extended time and subsequently mixed with the Tuareg and learned the Tamazight language for cultural and commercial exchanges. However, the Gaetuli eventually began to feel out of place and decided to continue north.
In Algeria, they settled at the edge of the Aures, where they posed problems to Roman infiltration in the 3rd century BC as they were stellar horsemen and became dreaded in combat. It was necessary to involve a late Roman politician, Gaius Marius, to negotiate exploration of the South against concessions of agricultural land around Cirta and Setifis, at the time under Roman rule; a trick of dispersing them and so diminished in their strength. Thus, the Gétule were occupied by the Romans.
Roman colonization
[edit]The city of Biskra experienced many violent wars during the Roman colonization, including the resistance war led by the Berber leader Tacfarinas, followed by his successor, the militant Jugurtha "Youghorta". With the help of the inhabitants of the city, who provided human and material support, Jugurtha destroyed the Roman army at the end of the so-called Numidia region.
The Vandals in the 4th century
[edit]The Vandals "Oundals" invaded the city of Biskra and occupied all its land, but the resistance and continuous fighting of its inhabitants forced the Vandals to integrate with them. After a few decades, the Romans took over the city, where they built obstacles to protect themselves from the vengeance of the population.
The arrival of the Arab conqueror Uqba ibn Nafi al-Fihri in the 7th century
[edit]They remained with such vigilance until the arrival of the Arab conqueror Uqba ibn Nafi al-Fihri in the 7th century AD. During this period, the whole area came under the Arab-Muslim monarchy. After 20 years of conquest, Uqba ibn Nafi died in 683 AD when he returned from Morocco with his army. His death was organized by an ambush mounted by his adversary, the Numidian prince (Berber) Koceila and his army at Tahouda, a small village located 5 km from the oasis "Sidi Okba". His body was buried in the mosque of the city that took his name. According to the imam of this mosque, it contains more than 300 tombs and is the 4th holy place of Islam, after Mecca, Medina and Aksa.
In the early 10th century, Biskra and the entire Ziban area were conquered by the kings of Beni Hammad.
The Hillal Bannis in the 12th century
[edit]Followed by the Kabyla of Elathbend banished Hilal (Hilalian Arabs) who removed and confiscated the property of the inhabitants. They asked for the help of the Almohads of the kingdom of Marrakech in the 12th century.
The Hafsids in the 14th century
[edit]In the 14th century, the Hafsid arrived in Tunisia and Algeria. Biskra became an important hub for the Hafsid of Tunisia where it remained under lure monarchy and direction for a long time then under the authority of the Marinid Sultanate of Fez and banned Abd-Elouadi and the Znatiyin of Tlemcen.
The conquest of the city by the Turks in 1541
[edit]In 1541, the Turks began their conquest of the city under the direction of Hocine Agha who defended the city of Algiers at the time and brought out the strength of Charles Compte of the latter.
The Ottoman Empire remained in the city for three centuries until the French colonized it.
French colonization from 1844
[edit]After the French conquest of Biskra in 1844, the site was fortified to secure the area against uprisings. El-hadj Mohammed Esaghire Elokbi, as the successor to El-Emir Abdelkader, waged continued war against the French, attacking the French forces under Lamoriciere on 23 December 1847. Elokbi also opposed the Ben Ghana clan as well as Ahmed Bey's claim as ruler of Constantine. Resistance continued in the Ziban and Aurès Moufrntains.
In Biskra the local chief Bou Zian rallied the people against the palm tax, seizing the moated fortification of Zaatcha 20 km from Biskra. The French marched on Zaatcha, laying siege for months. It finally fell after 53 days of attacks by a French force of 7,000 troops. Bou Zian was killed. The French counted the loss of 2130. French control nonetheless remained tenuous when attacks were mounted again in 1879 at El-kamri.
Some 100 years after the battle of Zaatcha, in 1954 Biskra was again the scene of anti-French assaults during the Algerian War of Independence where house-to-house battles cost many lives.
In culture
[edit]At the end of the 19th century Biskra, a popular spa town and gateway to the Sahara, became a center for artists and photographers such as Émile Frechon, Alexandre Bougault and Rudolf Franz Lehnert. From 1872 to 1920 the French Count Albert Landon de Longueville hosted in his villa-cum-chateau at Biskra (today Villa Bénévent), nobility, artists and writers, including Béla Bartok, Oscar Wilde, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, André Gide, Nasreddine Dinet, Eugène Fromentin, Karl Marx, Anatole France, Francis James and Henri Matisse.
Biskra is the setting of key sections of André Gide's 1902 novel The Immoralist and lesser known 1897 prose-poem Les nourritures terrestres (The Fruits of the Earth), and he visited the town in 1895 (for a fortnight from 31 January) with Lord Alfred Douglas, following a meeting with Oscar Wilde in Blida and Algiers.
The French artist Henri Matisse has a work titled Blue Nude (Souvenir de Biskra) an oil painting finished in 1907.
The Hungarian composer Béla Bartók collected traditional music in Biskra in 1913.[citation needed]
The Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, who traveled to North Africa, seemed to have been quite impressed by Biskra. This trip probably aroused genuine interest in the North African/ Arabic culture. He composed many pieces influenced by his experience there. He sent a postcard from Biskra on 11 April 1914.[citation needed]
Diana Mayo, the protagonist of Edith Maude Hull's popular 1919 novel The Sheik, starts her journey into the desert from Biskra, and in the identically named 1921 silent movie The Sheik starring Rudolph Valentino in perhaps his most famous role.
Winston Churchill's cousin, sculptor and author Clare Sheridan held a salon in Biskra in the 1920s and 1930s.[4]
Geography
[edit]
Biskra is located in the north-east of Algeria, in the district of Biskra. The city lies about 248 miles (399 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (114 km) southwest of Batna and 137 miles (220 km) north of Touggourt. She is nicknamed "The Queen of the Zibans", "The door of the desert" or "The Saharan Nice" because of its location which is the beginning of the desert. It is located at an altitude of 87 m (285 ft) in the northern part of the Sahara Desert.
Apart from the mountains that surround it, the topography of Biskra is generally very flat. Part of the city is surrounded by the Sfa Pass and the Ziban Mountains. In the outskirts of Biskra, the landscape is very arid with all the same vegetation that vary depending on the location. Small water points can be found in the outskirts of Biskra, especially in the oases and canyons of the mountains around El Kantara. The prefecture of Biskra is crossed by Oued Labiod waterways, Oued El Arab, Djedi, Oued Meziraâ, Oued El and Oued el Gantara. The city covers an area of 127.55 km2 (49.25 sq mi). It has a population of 307,987 and is the 10th most populous city. It has a population density of 1,612.0 inhabitants per square meter. The population of Biskra are called Biskri.
As in the rest of the country, Biskra does not observe summer time and stays in the same time zone all year round. Whether winter or summer, the time is always the same in Biskra. The sunrise is around 7:41 am to 21 December and 5:24 am on 21 June. The sunset is around 5:30 pm on 21 December and at 7:54 pm on 21 June.
Cityscape
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Neighborhoods
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The city of Biskra has gone through three phases before getting to where it is today. Started by the pre-colonial phase which testifies, that the city was pending this period under Roman rule over country of the Berbers, and having taken the role of the capital of southern Numidia, and the
A very prosperous city, built by the Muslims in the Middle Ages. During the Turkish period the city was hit by epidemics, binding occupiers of the fort to leave the city to settle, in a group scattered the interior of the palm grove, south of the city, around two elements of the form local production, the built environment that are the mosque and seguias, besides the use local building materials.
Secondly, the city was marked by the colonial phase characterized by the building of fort Saint Germain on the northern part, and the construction of a city (the colonial checkerboard) by an urban model, different from the previous one, and having undergone several extension, particularly the 1st and 2nd and the Dervau Plan, followed during the 50s, by popular extensions to the South at the expense of the palm grove and without dimensional and formal logic.
In the end the post colonial phase characterized by the proliferation of self-built no plan to urban and architectural quality at least and without model, where typological reference, which has only to be curbed, after the instruction of the laws intervention and control of the state, over the urban space, by launching large Housing development operations in the framework of ZUNH, in the form of housing communal collective or subdivision which, despite this, has not been able to resolve the demand for housing, bringing the state to promulgation, other laws havingobjective, improving urban quality, openness and diversification stakeholders.
Today, the city of Biskra is made up of 28 neighborhoods including 3 main ones which are, Korra, City 60 Logts ENICAB and Equipment Zones.
Climate
[edit]Biskra has a subtropical hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) typical of the region in which it is found. The city has long and extremely hot summers and short, pleasantly warm winters. In summer, the peaks of heat are among the highest in the country with temperatures that can exceed 49 °C (120 °F) and are similar to cities like Luxor or Phoenix. The average peak July temperature, which is the hottest month, is about 42 °C (108 °F). On average, the city experiences more than 92 days a year where the temperature is equal to or exceeds 38 °C (100 °F) and nearly 20 days above 43 °C (109 °F). In comparison, New York City has had a total of 59 days when the temperature was equivalent to or above 38 °C (100 °F) since 1870. Temperatures generally begin to approach or even exceed 34 °C (93 °F) by April. Biskra is one of the hottest cities in the country when it comes to daytime temperatures. Indeed, this one is often higher than 27 °C (81 °F) during the hottest months. The highest minimum temperature recorded in Biskra was 37 °C (99 °F) on 4 July 1993, making it the hottest night ever recorded in the city. On 14 July 1910, the temperature reached 51 °C (124 °F) which is the record of heat in Biskra.
The climate is very dry and mostly very clear. Rainfall is limited to only 128.8 mm per year. Precipitation is quite rare despite some showers usually during the coldest months, mainly January and February, where it rains several times in the season, which brings the majority of humidity to Biskra in a year. The highest precipitation record recorded in Biskra in a year is (600.5 mm) in 1910 while the driest year is only (27.7 mm) recorded in 1945. The extreme heat that prevails during the summer can cause violent storms at the end of it and usually occur in September, when the air humidity becomes significantly higher with an average of 41% moisture per year. The month with the highest air rate in Biskra is December with 59% humidity, July is the least heavy month with only 27% on average per year. Aside from rainfall or humidity, sandstorms can occur several times a month and even become Haboob, which can make visibility almost zero. Biskra has a very good duration of sunshine in the year with an average of 3,292 hours of sunshine a year. The wettest month is November with (20.1 mm), while July is the driest month with (1.7 mm).
The hot, dry and sunny climate of the city sometimes attracts some inhabitants of the northern regions as in the city of Batna located 115 km northeast, which experiences fairly icy and wet winters during this period, to enjoy the pleasant weather and sunny in winter.
On average, Biskra knows no day in the year with a temperature below zero. Moving away from the urban area, the risk of frost may be more frequent and night temperatures are lower. Biskra very rarely experiences freezing days and only occurs occasionally during periods of mild cold weather. what can happen to Biskra and its surroundings. The record for the largest number of frost days recorded at Biskra in a winter is 1980–1981 with 73 days, while the record for the number of consecutive years experiencing freeze-up in Biskra is 1886 years. 1888. The lowest recorded temperature in Biskra was −5 °C (23 °F) on 27 December 1914, while the lowest daily maximum temperature was 7 °C (45 °F) on 2 February 1934.
| Climate data for Biskra (Biskra Airport) (1991–2020, extremes 1878–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) |
31.0 (87.8) |
34.8 (94.6) |
42.0 (107.6) |
45.3 (113.5) |
48.0 (118.4) |
51.0 (123.8) |
49.0 (120.2) |
46.0 (114.8) |
40.5 (104.9) |
35.3 (95.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
51.0 (123.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) |
19.2 (66.6) |
23.2 (73.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
32.5 (90.5) |
37.7 (99.9) |
41.1 (106.0) |
40.3 (104.5) |
34.7 (94.5) |
29.2 (84.6) |
22.2 (72.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
28.5 (83.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.1 (53.8) |
13.6 (56.5) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.1 (70.0) |
26.2 (79.2) |
31.2 (88.2) |
34.5 (94.1) |
34.0 (93.2) |
29.1 (84.4) |
23.7 (74.7) |
17.1 (62.8) |
13.0 (55.4) |
22.7 (72.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
15.1 (59.2) |
19.9 (67.8) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.7 (81.9) |
23.4 (74.1) |
18.1 (64.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
8.0 (46.4) |
16.9 (62.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.0 (26.6) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
1.3 (34.3) |
3.0 (37.4) |
5.0 (41.0) |
12.0 (53.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
4.2 (39.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 16.0 (0.63) |
8.4 (0.33) |
14.7 (0.58) |
16.6 (0.65) |
11.1 (0.44) |
3.4 (0.13) |
0.7 (0.03) |
2.7 (0.11) |
16.2 (0.64) |
15.3 (0.60) |
14.8 (0.58) |
9.2 (0.36) |
129.1 (5.08) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 2.2 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 19.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 57 | 50 | 44 | 39 | 34 | 31 | 27 | 31 | 41 | 48 | 55 | 59 | 43 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 223.2 | 223.2 | 260.4 | 282.0 | 319.3 | 333.0 | 362.7 | 328.6 | 270.0 | 266.6 | 213.0 | 210.8 | 3,292.8 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 7.2 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 10.3 | 11.1 | 11.7 | 10.6 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 9.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA[5] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Arab Meteorology Book (humidity and sun),[6] Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[7] | |||||||||||||
Flora and Fauna
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The fauna of Biskra is characterized by a great diversity of insects such as Sacred Scarab and yellow broad-tailed scorpions are found. There are also amphibians like frog, reptiles like the Horned Viper or the Egyptian cobra. A variety of birds including Black Warbler, mammals such as Gazelles, small Gerboise, Fox, Wild boar, Hare, Hedgehog, Bat, Myriapods, Crustaceans such as the Crab stream or the Water Flea. There are also a lot of black and red spiders that some species hide in dead tree stumps.
Demographics
[edit]Population
[edit]| Year | Population[8] |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 7,500 |
| 1911 | 20,000 |
| 1926 | 22,000 |
| 1931 | 18,900 |
| 1936 | 21,300 |
| 1948 | 36,400 |
| 1954 | 52,500 |
| 1966 | 59,300 |
| 1977 | 77,000 (town) 90,500 (municipality) |
| 1987 | 128,300 |
| 1998 | 177,600 |
| 2010 | 300,000 |
References
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- ^ "Market, Biskra, Algeria". World Digital Library. 1899. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ^ The Modern world encyclopedia : illustrated. Home Entertainment Library. 1935. OCLC 1091880941.
- ^ Gunther, Jane Davies (1984). Riverside County, California, Place Names; Their Origins and Their Stories. Riverside, California. pp. 53–54.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "A Modest Proposal". Time. 24 March 1941. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
... In Biskra he frequented the Algerian salon of Winston Churchill's cousin, sculptress Clare Sheridan (Arab Interlude). ...
- ^ "Biskra Climate Normals for 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ "Appendix I: Meteorological Data" (PDF). Springer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ "Station Biskra" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ "ALGERIA: urban population". www.populstat.info. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
External links
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Media related to Biskra at Wikimedia Commons
- (in French) Biskra City
.svg)
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