Bethioua ( Berber language: Ibeṭṭiwen, ar, بطيوة, formerly ''Arzew'', under French rule, called ''Vieil Arzew'' then ''Saint Leu'') is a town and region in the wilaya of

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

in the west of Algeria. It has a gas port, petrochemical facilities and desalination plant. It is located on the ruins of the ancient Roman settlement of Portus Magnus. The region itself belonged to the Battiwa (Ibeṭṭiwen), a group of Berber clans which arrived from the Rif mountains, mainly Ait Said and Temsaman tribe. They were composed of clans from Zegzawa (Izegzawen), the

Ait Mait Ait Mait (Tarifit: Ayt Mayt, ⴰⵢⵜ ⵎⴰⵢⵜ; Arabic: آيت مايت) is a commune in Driouch Province, Oriental, Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of ...

and their Maraboutic leader Sidi Amar Ben Ahmed whose mausolée lies facing the sea..Thus originally settled in Mazagran near the city of Mostaganem, when in 1784 was given to them by the bey of Mascara this coastal territory of Bethioua a little further west. During the French colonization, Bettiouas had to take refuge in Mazagran once again, most of them were given back their land by the authorities. Today only elders can still really speak the tribe language. When the Anglo-Americans invaded Algeria in November 1941 (

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...

), the American troops who captured Oran landed at Beach Z, which was the strip of coastline between Arzew and Bethioua.

References

Bibliography

Metzmacher, M. (1979 a). Les oiseaux de la Macta et de sa région (Algérie) : Non passereaux. ''Aves'', 3-4 : 89–123.
Populated places in Oran Province Mediterranean port cities and towns in Algeria {{Oran-geo-stub