Béjaïa (transcribed rear RTL بجاية in Arab, Bgayet in Kabyle (Berber) and transcribed in Tifinagh; Candle being the old name French of the city, Saldae at the time of the Roman and Vaga (brambles) into libyco-Berber) is a town of Algérie in Kabylie. It is also the chief town of the wilaya (department) of the same name.

Its inhabitants is called Bougiotes or Bédjaouis. With its 500.000 inhabitants in 2004, Béjaïa is in term of population more the big city of Kabylie. It is also, thanks to its geographical location, the most important pole industrial of the area, in particular by the concentration of many various industries, and the presence of one of largest the oil port and commercial of the Mediterranean. Béjaïa is also equipped with a international Aéroport.

Known at the time Roman under the name of Saldae . With the the Middle Ages, it becomes one of the most prosperous cities of the Mediterranean, capital coast of great Moslem dynasties. Initially known in Europe thanks to the quality of its made beeswax candles to which it gave its name, Bougie also played a big role in the diffusion of the “Arab numerals” in Occident.

History

See article developed History of Béjaïa

From its history more than thousand-year-old, Béjaïa is one of the oldest towns of Algeria. In -27/-26, the Roman Emperor Auguste founds the colony Julia Augusta Saldensium Septimana Immunis for the veterans of the Legion: Legio VII Claudia. This town of Saldae is integrated into the Maurétanie Césarienne in 42 of our era. It is mentioned as being an episcopal see in Ve century.

An inscription of the second century qualifies Saldae of “ Civitas Splendidissima ”. According to Leon To disavow, this inscription was transported to the Algerian museum of the Louvre, in Paris. Several amphoras, of the mosaics, the capitals, the coins were found by the archeologists at the time of recent excavations.

the Middle Ages, the port plays a political role of foreground. The Berber dynasty of the Hammadides, in conflict with that of the Almoravides, decides to transfer its capital from Qall' has towards Bgayet.

The city, which became one of the most prosperous cities of the Mediterranean coast pushes back a forwarding gênoise in 1136. In 1152, it is taken by the Almohades. The city experienced such a development that according to Leon the African of Amin Maalouf, it is populated several tens of thousands of people, primarily of the Kabyles and Andalusians.

Become a frightening town of Corsair S in XIVe century, the city is taken by the Spaniard Pedro Navarro in 1510, the occupation lasts until in 1555.

Geography

The area of which we propose to point out the history, is limited roughly: in the West by the peaks of the Djurdjura; in the East by the Babors to which the Bibans are welded which extend until South-east dominating the plains from the Médjana and of Bordj-Bou-Arreridj. A valley, where the river of the Soummam curves, separating the Babor - Biban from the Djurdjura, emerges towards the South with Ighrem, El Asnam, in a planted flat rich person of olive-tree S, fruit trees, of Vignoble S and other cultures. The gulf of Béjaia, on the edge of which the city rises in amphitheater, offers the aspect of a vast lake surrounded by a curtain of mountains to the capricious profiles: initially the peak of Gouraya which dominates the city; on its line the peak of Toudja; opposite and according to the ellipse of the littoral, come the summit from Bou-Andas, the rock serrations of Blessed-Tizi, Djebel Takoucht, of Adrar-Amellal, Tizi-Uzerzur, the broad croup of Babors beside the peak of Tababort; finally, in the last plan, the bluish silhouette of the country of Jijel.

When one moves away from the city to move towards Ziama, the throats of Chaabet-I.E.(internal excitation)-Akhra, one follows, on a course of more than thirty kilometers, the half-circle formed by the Golfe. The road which follows the shore in parallel crosses a fertile plain dominated by green picturesque sites with a Végétation thick and thick.

The edges of Soummam which one cross-piece are covered with gorses and of rose laurels separating its banks from beautiful gardens where Figuier S, olive-tree S, Oranger S, Abricotier S, and so much of others are coudoient, all attests, in these places, an intelligent impulse, much of spirit of initiative, taste and the serious one in work. After Souk-el-Khemis and its soft plain, the band which extends along the shore narrows little by little to succeed, towards South-west while following the river, with the road leading to the throats.

The vegetation, in certain places of the roadside, constitutes a true tumble of wild plants, Lierre, Virginia creeper, Liane S thorny, brambles; on the soft or steep slopes of the Ash S, pine S, evergreen oaks, cork oak, emergent Eucalyptus of the large bushes of brooms and mastic trees in the medium of which, often a limpid water, traces furrows of freshness and life.

The throats offer an imposing and titanic decoration by its beauty and its proportions. The roughness of the Rock S in overhang, the severity of the mountains rising with peak on two banks of the gun which murmurs at the bottom of the abyss, the road constantly suspended on the abyss, sometimes dug in the mountainside, sometimes established on arches of masonry at the hard places of the wall, birds of all kinds, black spots up there, very high, so much high that they seem to plane close to the roof of the world, make feel in the middle of this landscape, the brittleness of the man, and no one among those which cross cannot be denied a feeling of concern; it is undoubtedly for this reason that it is called “Chaabet-el-Akhra”.

When one climbing the slopes of Gouraya and that one leads to the mausoleum, one enjoys an incomparable panorama. With bottom, the city seems a small village of Lilliputians. In mist opaline of the morning disappears the horizon and the sky seems to merge with the sea. Towards South-west, on the side of this mountain, Toudja appears drowned in the greenery where inexhaustible sources run raising in the middle of secular orange groves, and, opposite the solid masses imposing Babor and Bibans strewn with a multitude of villages, hardly visible white points. When the sun, disappearing at the horizon, leaves behind him clouds étincelants of gold, all these mountains are variegated more sharp colors and are reflected with a clearness on the transparent and mobile tablecloth; this imposing spectacle tarnishes then gradually, under the influence of the wet vapors of the sea, while passing by the most varied nuances of. To this spectacle enchanter, the roads offer a harbor to the ships and small fishing boats that few coasts of the the Mediterranean have. It is without any doubt, for these reasons that the Phéniciens had chosen this place for one their counter-colonies, that the Romains preserved and that year-Nacer ibn Hammad (of the Hammadides) there built its capital.

Origin of the word candle

The word Bougie appeared in the French language only at the 14th century. Drawn from Bugaya, a town of Algeria which provided a great quantity of wax for the manufacture of the Chandelle S. The candle as such was developed in the middle of the 19th century, and is distinguished from the candle by its raw material and the use of a braided cotton wick. Braiding makes it possible the wick to be curved and to be consumed: useless then of the moucher. The poor wretch candle disappears then, and the wax loses of its interest.

  • Many communes: 52

  • Number of Daïras: 19
  • Total population: 856.840
  • Rate of urbanization: 39,7% telephone
  • Indicative: +213 (34)

Protocol d' Amitié

Béjaïa has a protocol Friendship with:

See too

Random links:Saint-James | Tour de France 1976 | Mário Raposo | District of Amstetten | Treaty of Fredrikshamn