Second Week in Algeria!

MONDAY 7 MARCH 2011: VISITING DJELFA

Hello my friends!

Today we are travelling to Djelfa! This is the capital city of Djelfa province of Algeria. It has a population of almost 155,000 inhabitants and is situated between two cities, Bou Saãda and Laghouat.

Djelfa town is at a point of transition between the dry, steppelike High Plateaus of the north, with their chotts (intermittent salt lakes) and the Sahara. The town was founded in 1852 as a French military post on a geometric plan.

The city looks like we thought it was going to be. It’s very wide and flat. There was nothing to do over there, so we had the time to enjoy the nature while we were crossing the Sahara.

   

In the second picture, you can see 4 men from the local book shop. They were very nice and friendly and offered us something to drink, so we bought a booklet. There’s one little problem, we are unable to read Arabic ;-), but they were sooo nice to us!

That’s all we have experienced in this town, so I’ll write to you soon about our other visits!

See ya ! xx

TUESDAY 8 MARCH 2011: VISITING BOU SAADA

Good evening my friends!

Bou Saada means “place of happiness”. It’s a town and municipality in M’Sila Province, Algeria, situated 245 km south of Algiers. This city is traditionally an important market place producing and selling jewelry, metalwork, carpet and bousaadi knives.

There is also a textile mill in town. Even in modern times, Bou-Saada is an important trading post for nomads. There is also some national tourism during winter. Bou-Saada is well-connected with other urban centres by road. M'Sila is 70 km northeast, Biskra is 175 km east, Bordj Bou Arreridj 130 km northeast and Djelfa 120 km southwest. Bou-Saada has two quarters, the old medina (ksar) within the city walls with arched alleyways, and the French town to the south.

 This is the shield of the city.

I hope the next city is a little more interesting, because otherwise, I’ll travel forward instead of staying here in Algeria. It’s such a big country, but it’s so empty ! Although, nothing for me.

We’ll see what Tiaret brings us tomorrow!

Good night ! -XxX-

WEDNESDAY 9 MARCH 2011: VISITING TIARET

  = Tiaret, written in Berber ! 

Today we have visited Tiaret, one of the largest towns in the actual Algeria.

Population

 

Tiaret is a town of about 150,000 people, more than 99% are Muslim, located about 100 miles inland from the Mediterranean seacoast. Known variously as Tiaret, Tahert or Tihert, it is the main city in the province of Tiaret, an upland agricultural region in the Tell Atlas area of Algeria. The word "Tihert" means "station" in the local Berber dialect, and from ancient times Tiaret has been a station, or stopping place, for travelers, traders and armies.

Infrastructure & industry

 

A study by the University of Nice reported in 1992, significant areas contaminated by industrial pollution, and growing squatter settlements on the periphery.

The region is predominantly one of agriculture. There is a large airfield with a tower and terminal, at Abdelhafid Boussouf.

Politics

 

The province suffered massacres, killings, and bombings during the Algerian Civil War, though less so than areas closer to Algiers. The Africa Institute reported in a May, 2004 monograph that Tahert's more "arid and mountainous landscape has facilitated terrorist activities".

According to me, this city was the most important one, of the last three towns we have visited.
We have seen a lot, and we also went to a very good restaurant! (It's nice to eat something different than our Belgian food, but I'll really miss our French Fries!) ;-)

Keep following us, Belgians!

Kiss & Greetings!
Charlotte