Relizane or Ghilizan (
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: غلیزان;
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
: Ɣilizan) is a city in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
. It is the capital city of
Relizane Province
Relizane ( ar, ولاية غليزان) is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria. Relizane is the capital. Other localities include Bendaoud, Bouzegza, Hamri, Kalaa, Mazouna and Zemmoura. The Wilaya of Relizane massacres of 4 January 1998 happen ...
.
Toponymy
The name of Relizane comes from the Berber ⵉⵖⵉⵍ ⵉⵣⵣⴰⵏ (Iɣil Izzan) which means “burnt / grilled hill”. The Turks built a bordj there, hence the name Bordj Ighil Izan, to control the road to Oran. The population is mainly from the Flittas and Beni-Ouragh of
Ouarsenis
The Ouarsenis or Ouanchariss (Berber language: ⵡⴰⵔⵙⵏⵉⵙ, ''Warsnis'' (meaning "nothing higher") ''Adrar en Warsnis'', ar, الونشريس) is a mountain range and inhabited region in northwestern Algeria.
Geography
The range is loca ...
.
Story
Antiquity
The history of the region dates back to the time of the Kingdom of
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 ...
which was between 203 and 213 BC. The region takes its name from a stream called Mina. The region of Mina knows under the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
domination which lasted nearly five centuries, its apogee in the agricultural and commercial development because of the fertility of its grounds and the richness of its soil. Relizane is founded on the location of the ancient Roman Castellum de Mina.
Islamization
Islam made its appearance in the western region in 681, in 719-720 the tribes of Relizane all converted to Islam with the arrival of Moussa Ibn Noçaïr.
French colonization
In the nineteenth century, agriculture was very often threatened by frequent droughts. It was not in 1852 that French troops occupied Relizane, a colonial settlement center was created by imperial decree on February 27, 1857, and was elevated to the rank of a full-service commune on February 5, 1871.
In 1844, the French engineers repaired the old dam (the old hydraulic works, partially restored in the 18th century). In 1853, the first Europeans settled in the plain and cultivated small areas of wheat and barley plus a few areas of tobacco that were quickly abandoned (
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
decimated entire populations at the time). But the creation of Relizane was not decided until January 1857. Since then, certain houses built after the
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 ...
-
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 ...
railway have given it a new face. In the meantime the European population is increasing. The French come from the South (
Gard
Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;[Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...]
,
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
,
Murcia
Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...
,
Almería
Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...
. About twenty farms cultivated cotton. The city then experienced a prodigious development, but disease, drought, insufficient harvests slowed down any progress. Let us add to the natural disaster, the events which preceded the imperial voyage5 and whose aftermath
hich?Were the main reason for the incident6 of May 1865. In the south of Oran the revolt of the Ouled Sidi Cheikh broke out, a revolt due to discontent of the population since 1860. The disillusions and promises
hich?not kept by the occupier are at the origin of one of the biggest insurrections which will last until 1896.
A labor camp is used to imprison Spanish Republican refugees at the end of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
(see Retirada) .
The population of Relizane took part in the national liberation struggle and made the city part of the contemporary history of
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
against French colonization
Personalities linked to the city
*
Abdellah Hezil
*
Ahmed Francis
Ahmed Francis (12 November 1910 – 31 August 1968) was an Algerian politician and nationalist, born in Relizane in a family originally from Miliana.
After studying medicine in Paris, France, where he got his doctorate in 1939, Ahmed retur ...
*
Alain Bensoussan
*
Alain Bentolila
*
Dominique Cabrera
Dominique Cabrera (born 21 December 1957) is a French film director. She has taught filmmaking at La Fémis and at Harvard University. Her film '' Nadia et les hippopotames'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film ...
*
Ali Boumendjel
Ali Boumendjel (May 24, 1919 – March 23, 1957) was an Algerian revolutionary and lawyer.
Biography
Born in Relizane to an educated family from Beni Yeni region, Boumendjel was educated at the Duveyrier college in Blida, where he met with oth ...
*
Mustapha Laliam
Mustafa ( ar, مصطفى
, Muṣṭafā) is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world.
Given name Mo ...
*
Mohammed Abbou
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mono ...
*
Colonel Amirouche
Amirouche Aït Hamouda ( ar, عميروش آيت حمودة), commonly called Colonel Amirouche, was a leader in the Algerian War, organizing the irregular military of the Wilaya III. He is considered a national hero in Algeria.
He was killed d ...
*
M"hamed Issiakhem
*
Chikha Rabiaa
*
Cheb Moumen
*
Chaba Zohra Relizania
*
Sami relizani
*
Hadj Belkhir
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
*
Douba Fatiha
*
Belakhdar Touffik
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Communes of Relizane Province
Cities in Algeria
Province seats of Algeria