Constantine ( ar, قسنطينة '), also spelled Qacentina or Kasantina, is the capital of Constantine Province in northeastern Algeria. During Roman times it was called Cirta and was renamed "Constantina" in honor of emperor

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

. It was the capital of the French department of Constantine until 1962. Located somewhat inland, Constantine is about from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of the

Rhumel River The Rhumel River (also Rhummel, Rummel, El-Kebîrl; Arabic: وادي الرمال) is the largest river in the Constantine region of Algeria. Geography The source of the Rhumel river is in the Ferdjioua (Mila) mountains. From there it meanders th ...

. Constantine is regarded as the capital of eastern Algeria and the commercial center of its region, and it has a population of about 450,000 (938,475Office National des Statistiques, Recensement General de la Population et de l’Habitat 2008
2008 population census. Accessed on 2016-01-27. with the agglomeration), making it the third largest city in the country after

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

and

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 ...

. There are several museums and historical sites located around the city. Constantine is often referred to as the "City of Bridges" due to the numerous picturesque bridges connecting the various hills, valleys, and ravines that the city is built on and around. Constantine was named the Arab Capital of Culture in 2015.

History

Ancient history

General view, Constantine, Algeria-LCCN2001697860

The city was originally founded by the Phoenicians, who called it Sewa (royal city). Later it was renamed Cirta by the Numidian king

Syphax Syphax (, ''Sýphax''; , ) was a king of the Masaesyli tribe of western Numidia (present-day Algeria) during the last quarter of the 3rd century BC. His story is told in Livy's '' Ab Urbe Condita'' (written c. 27–25 BC).

, who turned it into his capital. The city was taken over by

Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...

, the country of the Berber people, after the Carthaginians were defeated by Rome in the Third Punic War. In 112 B.C., the city was occupied by the Numidian king Jugurtha, who defeated his half-brother Adherbal. The city later served as the base for Roman generals Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus and Gaius Marius in their war against Jugurtha. Later, with the removal of King Juba I and the remaining supporters of Pompey in Africa (c. 46),

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

gave special rights to the citizens of Cirta, now known as Colonia Sittlanorum. In 311 AD, during the civil war between emperor

Maxentius Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...

and usurper

Domitius Alexander Lucius Domitius Alexander (died c. 310), probably born in Phrygia, was vicarius of Africa when Emperor Maxentius ordered him to send his son as hostage to Rome. Alexander refused and proclaimed himself emperor in 308. The most detailed if som ...

(a former governor of Africa), the city was destroyed. Rebuilt in 313 AD, it was subsequently named in Latin as "Colonia Constantiniana" or "Constantina", after emperor

, who had defeated Maxentius. Captured by the Vandals in 432, Constantine returned to the Byzantine Exarchate of Africa from 534 to 697. It was conquered by the Arabs in the 8th century, receiving the name of ''Qacentina'', It was part of the region known to the Islamic world as

Ifriqiya Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...

Modern history

The city recovered in the 12th century and under Almohad and Hafsid rule it was again a prosperous market, with links to

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

, Genoa and

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. After taking it from the Hafsids in 1529 it was intermittently part of Ottoman Empire, ruled by a Turkish bey (governor) subordinate to the dey of

. Salah Bey, who ruled the city in 1770–1792, greatly embellished it and built much of the

Muslim architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic area ...

still visible today. Les colonnes d’assaut se mettent en mouvement

In 1826 the last bey, Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif, became the new head of state. He led a fierce resistance against French forces, which had invaded Algeria four years later. By 13 October 1837, the territory was captured by France, and from 1848 on until 1962 it was the centre of the Constantine Département. In 1880, while working in the military hospital in Constantine,

Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran (18 June 1845 – 18 May 1922) was a French physician who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1907 for his discoveries of parasitic protozoans as causative agents of infectious diseases such as malaria ...

discovered that the cause of malaria is a

protozoa Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...

n. He observed the parasites in a blood smear taken from a soldier who had just died of malaria. For this, he received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. This was the first time that protozoa were shown to be a cause of disease. His work helped inspire researchers and veterinarians today to try to find a cure for malaria in animals. In 1934, Muslim anti-Jewish riots, the

1934 Constantine Pogrom The 1934 Constantine riots was an anti-Jewish riot that erupted in the Algerian city of Constantine. The background of the tension between Jews and Muslims in the city was rooted in the different manner in which Jews and Muslims had been treated in ...

, caused the death of 34 local Jews. During World War II, during the campaign in North Africa (1942–43), Allied forces used Constantine and the nearby cities of

Sétif Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...

and Bone as operational bases.

Geography

Constantine is situated on a plateau at an elevation

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. The city is framed by a deep ravine and has a dramatic appearance. The city is very picturesque with a number of bridges over Rhumel River and a

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...

crossing the ravine. The ravine is crossed by seven bridges, including Sidi M'Cid bridge. Constantine is the railhead of a prosperous and diverse agricultural area. It is also a centre of the

grain trade The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...

and has flour mills, a tractor factory, and industries producing textiles, wool, linen and leather goods. Algeria and Tunisia serve as its markets.

Climate

Constantine has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification ''Csa''), with hot, dry summers and mild, moist winters.

Main sights

The city is framed by a deep ravine and has a dramatic appearance. In 1911, Baedeker described it as "resembling the Kasba of

, the picturesque charm of which has so far been marred by the construction of but a few new streets." *

El Bey Mosque The Hussein Bey Mosque ( ar, مسجد الباي , Masjid EL-Bay) is a mosque located in Constantine, Algeria. History Hussein Bey Mosque, was originally named Souk Al-Ghazal Mosque which means the spinning market mosque the name of the mosqu ...

built in 1703 also known by its post colonial name Souq El Ghezal Mosque. *

The Great Mosque of Constantine ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

historical mosque built in 1136. *

Cirta Museum Cirta, also known by various other names in antiquity, was the ancient Berber and Roman settlement which later became Constantine, Algeria. Cirta was the capital city of the Berber kingdom of Numidia; its strategically important port city was ...

, previously Gustave Mercier Museum (displays ancient and modern Algerian art) *

Abd al Hamid Ben Badis , image = Ibn Badis 2.jpg , birth_name = , birth_date = December 4, 1889 , birth_place = Constantine, Algeria , nationality = Algeria , death_date = April 16, 1940 (aged 50) , death_place ...

Mosque * The Casbah ( Kasbah) known locally by the name of Swika ** Emir Abdelkader University and Mosque * Soumma Mausoleum * Massinissa's Mausoleum *

Ahmed Bey Palace Bey's Palace () or Ahmad Bey Palace () is a historic palace in Constantine, Algeria. The palace was one of the main sights during the selection of Constantine as Arab Capital of Culture in 2015. History The palace was commissioned during the ru ...

* Ruins of the Antonian

Roman aqueduct The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported mining o ...

Ben Abdelmalek Stadium Ramadane Ben Abdelmalek Stadium ( ar, ملعب رمضان بن عبد المالك) is a multi-use stadium in Constantine, Algeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 13,000 people. It serves as a home ground ...

Nearby are * the Roman city of Tiddis * the megalithic monuments and burial grounds at

Djebel Mazala Salluste : ''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 ...

The City of Bridges

File:John_Beasly_Greene_(American,_born_France_-_(Elcantara_Bridge,_Constantine,_Algeria)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg, Bridge El-Kantara, earliest photo, 1856 by

John Beasley Greene John Beasley Greene (1832 – November 1856) was a French-born American Egyptologist and one of the earliest archaeological documentary photographers. He died at the age of 24. Because of his early demise, his pioneering work was quickly forgott ...

File:pont des chutes.jpg, Bridge of the Falls File:Sidi M'Cid.JPG,

Sidi M'Cid Bridge Sidi M'Cid Bridge is a 164 m long suspension bridge across the Rhumel River in Constantine, Algeria. It was opened to traffic in April 1912 and until 1929 was the highest bridge in the world at 175 m. The bridge was designed by French engineer Fer ...

File:Magnia.jpg, Sidi Rached Bridge File:Constantine bridge.jpg, El-Kantara Bridge File:Old Constantine.JPG, Constantine:Old city The topography of the city is unique and it determines the need for bridges. At the end of the 19th century, Guy de Maupassant wrote: "Eight bridges used to cross this ravine. Six of these bridges are in ruins today." Today the most important bridges are: *

(1912), a suspension bridge with a length of 168m, * Bab El Kantra Bridge (1792) bridge which leads toward north, * Sidi Rached bridge (1912), a long

of 447ms and 27 arches, designed by

Paul Séjourné Paul Séjourné (21 December 1851; Orléans – 19 January 1939; Paris) was a French engineer who specialized in the construction of large bridges from masonry, a domain in which he made some important innovations. Biography Paul Séjourné grad ...

, * Devil's bridge, a tiny beam bridge, * Falls bridge (1925), formed by a series of arches on top of a waterfall, * Mellah Slimane Bridge (1925), a suspension bridge, * Salah Bey Bridge (Trans-Rhummel viaduct, 2014), the first cable-stayed bridge in Constantine, designed by Dissing+Weitling architecture, * Meddjez Dechiche Bridge

Education

Constantine has in general four universities: two of them are downtown Constantine Mentouri Public University, designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, and Algerian architect

Rashid Hassaine Rashid or Rachid ( ar, راشد ) and Rasheed ( ar, رشيد ), which means "rightly guided", may refer to: *Rashid (name), also Rachid and Rasheed, people with the given name or surname *Rached, a given name and surname *Rashad, a surname Plac ...

, including Zerzara technical engineering pole, Zouaghi Slimane Geography and Earth Sciences Pole, and in the City of El-Khroub is the Institute of Veterinary Sciences.

Emir Abdelkader University Emir Abdelkader University of Islamic Sciences (Arabic language, Arabic:جامعة الأمير عبد القادر للعلوم الإسلامية ) is a university in Algeria. History The idea of establishing the university along with the Emir ...

is one of the biggest Islamic universities with many faculties covering religious studies, foreign languages, literature. Constantine's new town "nouvelle ville ali mendjeli" has two big universities: Université Constantine 2 known as "lella nsoumer" offering maths, computer and economy majors, and the new university is actually a university pole with more than 20,000 students, 17 faculties and more than 40,000 residents. It is now the largest African university under the name of "Université Salah Boubnider" known as "Université Constantine 3".

Transport

Constantine is served by Mohamed Boudiaf International Airport. Constantine also owns its 14.7 km-long tram network serving the city centre at the airport but also in the main neighbourhoods of the metropolis Constantine tramway.

Twin towns – sister cities

Constantine is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * Grenoble, France *

Sousse Sousse or Soussa ( ar, سوسة, ; Berber:''Susa'') is a city in Tunisia, capital of the Sousse Governorate. Located south of the capital Tunis, the city has 271,428 inhabitants (2014). Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf ...

, Tunisia

Notable people

Constantine has been the hometown of many noteworthy people in Algeria and France. *

Abdelhamid Brahimi Abdelhamid Brahimi ( ar, عبد الحميد براهيمي; 2 April 1936 – 15 August 2021) was an Algerian politician who first served as minister of planning before becoming the prime minister of Algeria under Chadli Bendjedid Chadli Be ...

, former Prime Minister of Algeria (1984-1988) * Abdelhamid Ben Badis, Islamic reformer and philosopher *

Abdelmalek Sellal Abdelmalek Sellal ( ar, عبد المالك سلال, ʿAbd al-Mālik Silāl; born 1 August 1948) is an Algerian politician who was Prime Minister of Algeria from 3 September 2012 to 13 March 2014 when he took a leave of office to support Presiden ...

, former Prime Minister of Algeria two terms (2012-2014),(2014-2017) *

Ahmed Bey Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet. Etymology The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...

, the last Bey of Constantine (1826-1848) *

Ahlam Mosteghanemi Ahlem Mosteghanemi ( ar, أحلام مستغانمي), alternatively written Ahlam Mosteghanemi (born 1953) is an Algerian writer who has been called "''probably the world's best-known Arabophone woman novelist''". She was the first Algerian wom ...

, writer *

Alfred Nakache Alfred Nakache (1915–1983) was a Jewish French swimmer and water polo player. A member of the French team for the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games, he also swam in the first post-war Summer Olympics in London in 1948. He is one of two Jewi ...

, Olympic champion swimmer and Holocaust survivor. *

Ali Saïdi-Sief Ali Saidi-Sief ( ar, علي سعيدي سياف, born March 15, 1978) is an Algerian Olympic runner. His speciality is the 1500 m race, but he took a silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics for the 5000 m, losing the gold to Ethiopian athlete ...

, Olympic medallist *

Amar Bentoumi Amar Bentoumi, born December 26, 1923, in Constantine, Algeria, to a family from Sidi Aïch (Béjaïa) and died March 29, 2013 (aged 89) in Algiers, was a lawyer, Algerian independence activist and Algerian politician. He was the first Minister of ...

, lawyer, Algerian independence activist, Algerian politician * Malek Bennabi, philosopher *

Rabah Bitat Rabah Bitat ( ar, رابح بيطاط; ALA-LC: ''Rābaḥ Bīṭāṭ''; 19 December 1925 in Aïn Kerma – 10 April 2000) was an Algerian Nationalist and politician. He served as interim President of Algeria from 1978 to 1979, after Houari ...

, the third President of Algeria (1978) *

Mouloud Hamrouche Mouloud Hamrouche ( ar, مولود حمروش) (born 3 January 1943 in Constantine, Algeria) was the head of government of Algeria from 5 September 1989 to 5 June 1991. Biography He was born in Constantine, Algeria. He was a leading member ...

, former Prime Minister of Algeria (1989-1991) *

Djamel Eddine Laouisset Djamel is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Djamel Abdoun (born 1986), French-born Algerian footballer *Djamel Amani (born 1962), former Algerian professional footballer *Djamel Ameziane, Algerian citizen, former resident of Cana ...

, Algerian Scholar * Masinissa, the first King of Numidia *

Hassiba Boulmerka Hassiba Boulmerka ( ar, حسيبة بولمرقة, born 10 July 1968) is a former Algerian middle distance athlete. Career Born in Constantine, Boulmerka started running seriously at the age of ten, specializing in the 800 a ...

, athlete, first Algerian woman to win an Olympic title (1992) * Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, the daughter of

Louis II, Prince of Monaco Louis II (Louis Honoré Charles Antoine Grimaldi; 12 July 1870 – 9 May 1949) was Prince of Monaco from 26 June 1922 to 9 May 1949. Early years Born in Baden-Baden, (Germany), he was the only child of Albert I, Prince of Monaco (1848–1922), a ...

, and the mother of Prince Rainier III *

Roger Chauviré Roger Chauviré (1880, Constantine – 14 March 1957, Paris) was a French writer, winner of the 1933 edition of the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française. Biography Roger Chauviré long taught at the National University of Ireland. A ...

(1880–1957), French writer * Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Nobel Prize winner in physics *

Sidi Fredj Halimi Sidi Fredj Halimi was the Chief Rabbi of Constantine during about sixty years at the beginning of the 20th century. The meaning of his name, Fredj, in English is "consolation". Sidi Fredj is called by his relatives "Baba Laaziz", meaning "beloved ...

, Chief Rabbi and rabbinical court president *

Enrico Macias Gaston Ghrenassia (born 11 December 1938), known by his stage name Enrico Macias, is an Algerian-French singer, songwriter and musician of Algerian Jewish descent. Early years Gaston Ghrenassia was born to a Sephardic Algerian Jewish family i ...

, French singer * Cheb i Sabbah, DJ, musician and composer * Jean-Michel Atlan, artist *

Alphonse Halimi Alphonse Halimi (February 18, 1932 – November 12, 2006) was a French boxer. He took the World Bantamweight Championship on April 1, 1957, in Paris, and the European Bantamweight Championship three years later. Early life He was born in Constan ...

, world champion boxer * Kateb Yacine, writer * Maurice Boitel, artist * Sandra Laoura, Olympic medallist *

Malek Haddad Malek Haddad (born in Constantine, Algeria on 5 July 1927; died in Algiers on 2 June 1978) was an Algerian poet and writer in the French language. Partial bibliography * ''Le Malheur en danger'' (poems), La Nef de Paris, 1956; Bouchène, 1988 ( ...

, poet * Moussa Maaskri, actor *

Fadéla M'rabet Fadéla M'rabet (born 1935) is an Algerian writer, doctor of biology, teacher and feminist. Biography M'rabet was born in Skikda in 1935, and grew up in Constantine, Algeria Constantine ( ar, قسنطينة '), also spelled Qacentina or Kasan ...

writer and feminist *

Cherif Guellal Cherif Guellal (born 19 August 1932 in Constantine, Algeria – deceased 7 April 2009) was an Algerian businessman and diplomat, who fought in the Algerian independence movement and who was a citizen of the United States. Biography Cherif Gue ...

, Algerian diplomat, first ambassador to the USA (1963-1967)

References

External links

��'' Catholic Encyclopedia''
The Cascades, Constantine, Algeria

Images of Constantine
in Manar al-Athar digital heritage photo archive {{Authority control 200s BC establishments 203 BC Communes of Constantine Province Phoenician colonies in Algeria Province seats of Algeria Constantine Province