Batna () is the main city and
commune of
Batna Province
Batna Province (, Latn, ar, Wilāyat Bātnah) is a provinces of Algeria, province of Algeria, in the region of Aurès. The capital is Batna (city), Batna. Localities in this province include N'Gaous, Merouana and Timgad. Belezma National Park i ...
,
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. With a population of 290,645 (2008 census)
it is the fifth largest city in Algeria. It is also one of the principal cities of the
Chaoui area and is considered the capital of
Aurès.
History
Batna was inhabited by
Chaoui tribes and there were previous settlements in the area but they were in ruins by the 18th century. The first solid foundations (a military encampment) of the city were erected by a French garrison in 1844, with a strategic mission to create a permanently guarded access point for the main Sahara road.
Batna's geographical location offers a natural break through the
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. They separate the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range, which stretches around through M ...
. The ancient cities of
Timgad and
Lambese, built around the first century CE, are living examples of the importance that the Romans gave to commercial control over the region.
Signature and proclamation of the Algerian revolution Batna
The inhabitants of the city revolted against the French authorities at the beginning of colonization. Thereafter they organized the Algerian revolution against French colonialism.
The first Batneens adhered to
Messali Hadj (PPP), as did the Ulemas
Ben Badis and the Movement for the Triumph of Democratic Freedoms (MTLD), and together they organized the great historic summit of 22, June 25, 1954.
The Algerian revolution started at Batna under the chairmanship of Batnéen
Mustapha Benboulaïd (FLN). Batna was the
first military region of Algeria (zone 1) (1954–1962).
On the night of November 1, 1954, the barracks of the city of Batna were attacked by the mujahedeen.
Batna was the command headquarters of the Algerian revolution until independence.
Bombing
On September 6, 2007, Batna saw a massive
Al-Qaeda
, image = Flag of Jihad.svg
, caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions
, founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden
, leaders = {{Plainlist,
* Osama bin Lad ...
suicide bombing. The bombing, which took place shortly before the visit of Algerian President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, resulted in approximately 15–20
["Suicide Bombing In Algeria Kills 15"]
AHN News retrieved September 10, 2007["16 killed in Algeria bombing attack"]
Excite News retrieved September 10, 2007 deaths and 107["Suicide bomb kills 20 in Algeria"]
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
retrieved September 10, 2007 injuries as the bomber detonated his device among a crowd waiting to see the President,["Suicide Bombing Kills 15 in Algeria"]
VOA News retrieved September 10, 2007 who was at the end of a three-day tour of eastern Algeria.
Al Jazeera retrieved September 10, 2007 The bombings were condemned by the UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
.
Historical population
Climate
Located in the Aurès Mountains (part of the Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. They separate the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range, which stretches around through M ...
), at above sea level, Batna has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BSk'') with Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
influences and an average annual precipitation of . Summers are moderately hot (by Saharan standards) and dry and winters are chilly and wetter, with the possibility of snow
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
fall.
Entertainment
Many entertainment resorts are spread across the town. Regarding sports activities the most important destinations are the 1st November Stadium (Stade du premier Novembre), and Seffouhi Stadium, which is used mainly for soccer clubs and festivals (CAB & MSPB are the biggest teams in the city), in addition to the Scholar Stadium. For cultural activities there is the , and also a municipal Cultural House, which is located behind the Prefecture and covers many cultural and educational activities, in addition to the Islamic Cultural Center in the heart of the city and the Youth House in Cite Ennaser. For children, an attraction park is located in Kechida, which is approximately a ten-minute drive from the downtown area.
Dining and nightlife
With regard to nightlife, due to some religious and cultural limitations, there are almost no night clubs in the city. However, the existing nightlife is concentrated in the heart of the city, around ''Les allées Benboulaïd'' and "STAND" areas, especially during summer break. Downtown Batna has plenty of cafés, traditional restaurants, pizzerias, French and oriental bakeries, and a limited number of luxury restaurants. Many festivities take place in ''allées Ben Boulaïd'' area, mainly in the season of International Timgad Festival (usually between 4–15 July every year). The most attractive exciting places surrounding the city are, Lambese (also called Lambaesis), Timgad, Ghoufi, Chelaalaa, and Belezma National Park.
Administration
Districts and urban areas
;Town center
;Quartier du Stand
;Bouzourane
;Cité 20 août ('' 20 August estate'')
;Hai An Nasr
;Cité 84 Log.
;La Verdure
;Cité Chikhi
;Cité 800 Log.
;Cité 500 Log.
;Cité 1020 Log.
;Kechida
;Erriadh
;Moudjahidines
;Cité 1272 Log.
;SAE
;Tamechit
;Sonatiba
;Cité Chouhada
;Kemmouni
;El Boustane
;Bouakal
;Z'Mala
;Douar Eddis
;Ezzohour
;Cité Lombarakia
;Parc à fourrage
;Cité Zemmouri
;Cité Salsabil
;Cité Bouarif
;Route de Tazoult ('' Tazoult road'')
;Zone Militaire (''Military zone'')
;Zone Industrielle (''Industrial zone'')
Monuments
* Buttafoco Camp Monument
Sports
The city is home to two notable football clubs: CA Batna and MSP Batna. Both play at the 1 November 1954 Stadium.
Education
The city has Aurès Aviation flight school.
Notable residents
* Houria Aïchi, musician
* Ali Benflis, Former Head of Government of Algeria
* Mohamed Hamouda Bensai, philosopher
* Ishem Boumaraf, singer
* Marcel Deviq, French engineer and politician
* Rachid Mouffouk, sculptor
* Liamine Zéroual, sixth President of Algeria
* Safia Djelal, paralympic athlete
References
External links
Travel Batna
{{Authority control
Populated places established in 1844
Communes of Batna Province
Chaoui people
Province seats of Algeria