Chlef

Chlef , of the name of the river “Chellif” (in the past El Asnam and Orléansville at the time of French colonization, or Castelum Tinginitum at the time Roman), is a city and a Wilaya of Algérie. The town of Chlef is located at 200 km in the west of Algiers, in the middle of the valley of Chellif, it occupies a strategic place from its geographical location.

The town of El Asnam knew two major earthquakes, the first the September 9th 1954, assessment 1340 died and 5000 wounded, and the second the October 10th 1980 which destroyed the city with 80 %. Following this last earthquake, the city re-elects Chlef.

Economic and social heart of the wilaya, it governs in particular the coastal town of Ténès which remains in the shade of el-Asnam.

Geography

Chlef is the chief town of the Wilaya (code 02) which bears the same name.

This city is located just at the limit between the center and the west of the country, at about fifty kilometers of the Mediterranean coast , in the middle of a vast plain ranging between the reliefs of Medjadja integrated into the chain of the Dahra into the North and the mounts of the Ouarsenis in the South (from where the climate of basin, cold in winter and very heat the summer), instead of junction of Chélif - more the water long course of Algeria - and of the Tsighaout wadi.

It is an area with primarily agricultural vocation. The wilaya of Chlef counts approximately a million inhabitants. More the big city after the chief town of the wilaya is Ténès on the edge of the sea, named at the time of the Romans: Carténa.

Communes of the wilaya: Abou El Hassan, Ain Merane, Bénairia, Blessed Bouateb, Blessed Haoua, Blessed Rached, Boukadir, Bouzeghaia, Breira, Chettia, Chlef, Dahra, El Hadjadj, El Karimia, El Marsa, Harchoun, Herenfa, Labiod Medjadja, Moussadek, Oued Fodda, Goussine Wadi, Sly Wadi, Ouled Abbots, Ouled Benabdelkader, Ouled Fares, Oum Drou, Sendjas, Sidi Abderrahmane, Sidi Akkacha, Sobha, Tadjena, Talassa, Taougrite, Ténès, Zebboudja, Ouled Mohammed.

History

Its history then goes up at the beginning of the Roman occupation in North Africa, known under the name of Castelum Tingitum .

While settling in the valley of Chéliff (first century of the Christian era), the Romans chose the current site of the city to build a garrison town there: Castellum Tingitanum . After having made beautiful great strides lasting nearly two centuries, the city declines. The extinction of the life in Castellum was precipitated - appear-it - by a terrible earthquake which destroyed it completely (the area is known for a long time to be a zone of strong seismicity).

In the passing of the Moslem conquerors in the area (at the 7th century), the site of old Castellum had the characteristic to gather among the ruins of many sculptures on stones from where its name of El-Asnam (“statues” being able to be within the meaning of idols). This site D-was not lived by Arabic because of their aversion for the statues which evoke in their eyes the pagan idols . The chlef was the kingdom of the great Berber dynasty of the Maghraoua according to Ibn Khaldoun before the Turkish .

El-Asnam remained a locality (and not a city) during more than one millenium until in 1843, when the marshal Bugeaud, in occupation campaign, installs a military camp. On the spot, the military chief realizes of the geostrategic situation of the site and decides to create there a colony of European settlement which he baptizes Orléansville . But for Algerian - who began a few years to approach the new city afterwards by creating small islands of dwelling in the suburbs, the site always kept the name of El-Asnam. Name which it finds besides after independence.

Zone of seismic activity permanently, the area was shaken by a terrible earthquake on October 10th 1980, seism very fatal which completely déstructuré the urban configuration of the city.

As to entreat the bad fate which endeuillé the city on several occasions (four in the space of about fifty years) following earthquakes successive and strong (1922, 1934,1954,1980), the authorities decided to rename the city which bears since 1981 the name of Chlef (perhaps the pagan connotation of the old name is there for something).

Celebrity

Paul Robert, 1910-1980
Hassiba Ben Bouali Militant Algerian freedom fighter during the war of Algeria. The university of Chlef bears its name.
Noureddine Morceli World champion of the 1500 m, originating in Ténès.

External bonds

Cheliff.org - Presentation of the area of Cheliff
Orléansville - Orléansville of 1830 to 1962
Chlef OnLine social, cultural and economic Information on the area of Chlef

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