The Belezma Range, also transliterated as Belzma ( ar, بلزمة), is a prolongation of the

Aurès Mountains The Aures Mountains ( ar, جبال الأوراس) are an eastern prolongation of the Atlas Mountain System that lies to the east of the Saharan Atlas in northeastern Algeria and northwestern Tunisia, North Africa. The mountain range gives its nam ...

, at the confluence of the Tell Atlas and the Saharan Atlas in northeastern Algeria. It is separated from the main Aurès Range by the

Batna Batna or BATNA may refer to: *Batna (city), Algeria *Batna Province, Algeria *Best alternative to a negotiated agreement In negotiation theory, the best alternative to a negotiated agreement or BATNA (no deal option) refers to the most advantageou ...

- El Kantara basin.

Geography and vegetation

The ridge is roughly aligned in an E-W direction. It is located at the western end of the Aurès Range, with the Hodna Mountains to the west. The highest peak, at , is the

Djebel Refâa : ''For mountains or other uses, see: Jabal.'' Djebel (1937–1958) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939–1942 including the Prix d'Essai, 2000 Guineas and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was later a leading ...

. Other important peaks are high Djebel Tichaou and Djebel Touggourt (meaning 'Cedar Peak'). The Belezma Range has one of the most important natural Atlas Cedar forests of Algeria. It is qualified as a 'dry facies' pure forest owing to its location and the influence of the large deserts nearby, being located only north of the El Kantara gorges, and there has been a high mortality of the trees in recent times. The Belezma mountains have been traditionally inhabited by the ''Houaras'' Chaoui people. There is very low population density in the area and villages are few.

Belezma Plain

The Belezma Plain (french: Plaine de Belezma) is an elevated intermontane basin located to the Northwest between the area of the National Park and Mount Mestaoua. Its main town is Merouana at over sea level. The plain is one of the most fertile areas in the region and has traditionally been a granary for the local population. Mount Mestaoua, a veritable natural fortress, is a historical oppidum.

History

The Ksar of Belezma () to the north of the range is the site of an ancient Byzantine fortress. The now ruined structure was once used as an observation outpost by the

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

and Arab dynasties that followed the Byzantine domination. This massif was the last refuge of Abu Yazid before his death.

Protected areas

The Belezma National Park is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

on the slopes of the range. It is one of the most important national parks of Algeria.Belezma National Park - Travel to Algeria
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Features

References

External links

* Mountain ranges of the Atlas Mountains Mountain ranges of Algeria Geography of Batna Province {{Batna-geo-stub