Béchar is an Algerian city and a municipal center of the province of Béchar. It was called Colomb-Béchar (French: Colomb-Béchar) during the French colonization of Algeria.
Béchar is the capital of the Saoura region and the center of the third military district, with a population of 171,724. The city is located 950 km southwest of Algiers and 852 km northeast of the border town of Tindouf. its location is less than 85 km south of the Moroccan border and its surveillance of most transportation routes in the southwest of the country makes it a very sensitive location.
Béchar was a small town before coal was discovered there in 1907, but it thrived on its mining activity until the emergence of oil and its capture of the market. the region's coal reserves are currently not exploited due to high transportation costs.
The city was also famous for its leather and jewelry industry, and the production of dates, vegetables, figs, grains, and almonds in the suburbs.
Near Béchar, there is a longwave transmitter in Al-Qandasa, which is the tallest building in Algeria.
Etymology
There are two names for the city, each with a story:
The first, Béchar, says that its name is derived from the word Al-Béchar, which means the bearer of good news, because Abd al-Malik, the Turkish sultan, sent explorers from the north of the country into the desert to search for new sources of water. Speaking of Bashar, who returned with the happy news, this area was known since that time as "Béchar ".
The second, Coulomb Béchar, said that it was known by this name in relation to the French Captain de Coulomb, who entered in 1857, where his armies were stationed in the area and his name was added to the name of the city to become "Colomb Bashar" and this name was given to the city throughout the period of French colonialism, and the original name Bashar was renamed at the beginning of independence.
Location
The city of Béchar is bordered to the east by the Desert Atlas mountain range, which includes Jabal Antar (the highest peak in the state, rising to 1953 m) directly overlooking the city.
The city is also bordered to the west by Bashar Airport and the town of al-Qanadisah, while to the north and south the city is bounded by the Wakada and Hamada oasis, respectively.
Climate
The city of Béchar enjoys a continental climate, hot in the summer and cold in the winter with fluctuating rainfall rates from season to season, but it sometimes experiences heavy rains that often lead to the flooding of Wadi Bashar, which runs through the city center.
Although the city is a desert, the city experiences cold spells and snowfalls that can last for days, especially in the highlands such as Jebel Antar.
The population
The historical population of Béchar, i.e. the inhabitants of Qasr Béchar (before French colonialism), is divided into four large families integrated with each other and with the Berber tribes of Mughal, Lahmar, Boukais and Taghit:
- Sons of Al-Hirish.
- Boys of Eid.
- Children of Uday.
- Olkhdad Sharif, originally from Toat.
After the French intervention in 1903, the migration of the Jews from Tafilalet to Bachar began, where they formed an isolated community (they only married each other) within their own neighborhood in the modern city, which began to form at that time and was inhabited by Spanish, French and Arab families next to them. This community remained so until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, when most of them went there, while some of them returned to Morocco and some of them stayed until the independence and most of them We quote among the Jewish families who lived in the city Bou Hasira, Abu Krat, Asiraf, Azoulay, Benhamoua, Ben Atah, Dahan, Saban (there is a neighborhood that still bears this name - Sabban -), Turjuman, Zénon. ...
The French forces imposed a restriction on the movement of the nomads, forcing most of the nomads to settle down to form the largest mass of the population, so a large part of the inhabitants of Manea in Bidando settled down and the rest settled down in Al-Abadla. While the children of Jarir settled in Al-Dabbaba. As for the inhabitants of the palaces of the region who came to the city, they lived in Béchar Markaz and al-Dabdaba, and most of them were from al-Qunadisah, Bani Abbas, Ain al-Safra, and al-Bayd.
After independence, Béchar became one of the largest cities in Algeria, as it is the center of the third military district. As a result, a large number of residents, most of whom are families of soldiers and traders, found in Béchar a suitable place. to carry out their activities were justified by the increase in population from about 45,000 at independence to 171,724 people in 2009.
Language
If the original inhabitants (the inhabitants of the palace) had a Berber origin, the Arabic language remains however the most spoken and used in communication in trade and with the administrations of the city because most of its inhabitants are Arabs, most of whom are descendants of the Bedouin tribes that inhabited the area (Dhawi Manea, Awlad Jarir, and Amour ...).
Today, the local Arabic dialect includes several Berber, French, Spanish, and other words, but the rapid development of the population has suddenly created small communities that speak their own dialects such as Kabyle, Chaoui, Zenatia, and Tabaldit.
City's Economy
The unemployment rate has dropped from 9.25% in 2010 to 7% in 2012. 98% of Bechar's population is connected to the drinking water network, 95% is connected to the sewage network and 99% (including 33,180 homes) has access to drinking water. electricity. Bashar has a total of 33,245 houses, of which 25,499 are inhabited, giving an occupancy rate of 6.5 persons per inhabited building.
There are 6 gas stations in the city.
agriculture
Agriculture is an important economic activity in Bashar, with a total of 8,384 hectares of arable land, of which 5,100 hectares are irrigated. There are 109,000 palm trees planted in the municipality occupying 910 hectares in addition to other crops such as vegetables, figs, grains, and almonds.
In 2009, there were 19,067 sheep, 16,664 goats, 1,766 camels, and 444 cows, as well as 126,000 chickens in 20 buildings.
Industry
After the publication by the government of texts with tax and semi-fiscal benefits and incentives, equivalent to a concession in symbolic dinars, an industrial zone has been registered in Bashar with an area of 180 hectares and the rehabilitation of a business park in Bashar with an area of 80 hectares.
The rapid urban development of the city of Bashar and neighboring cities has led to an increase in the demand for raw materials for construction, and in order to provide them, the state has scheduled multiple industrial projects to meet the requirements of the local market, namely:
- Brick Factory: It is expected to start production in early 2013
- Cement Factory: This plant is expected to start production in 2017 and will create 500 direct jobs and 3,500 indirect jobs. While its production capacity should reach 1.5 million tons per year. This plant, which will be built in the region of Ben Zerik (50 km from Bechar), will cost 200 million euros.
A dairy is also planned as part of the food industry to meet the needs of the region in pasteurized milk.
Other industries in the city include coal mining and the production of leather and jewelry.
Trade
Parallel trade in the city of Bashar was a major obstacle to development due to tax evasion in addition to overcrowding and overcrowding caused by parallel traders due to their occupation of sidewalks. Among the most famous parallel trade blocks that began to appear in the early 90s of the twentieth century, we mention:
- Bouhlel market is a popular vegetable market in the city center.
- Al-Bararik, a parallel market that was located in the center of the city of Bashar, its activity blocked the road leading to the mosque Al-Shuhada.
- The Tindouf market is an extension of what is called Al-Bararik, which is a popular market for the trade of fabrics, clothes, and perfumes, most of which come from the Wilayat of Tindouf.
- Bazaars are located at Prince Abdel Qader Street for clothes, food, and mattresses, the most famous of which is the Moomin Bazaar.
The number of vendors estimated at 565 was an obstacle for years to find a solution, but in 2012, after allocating 8 billion cents by the local authorities to create decent commercial spaces, this chaos was closed. Today, the city of Bashar has many markets and shopping centers, including:
- The Covered Market is a covered vegetable market in the city center near the state headquarters.
- The main street has the centers of most banks, financial and commercial institutions, in addition to a high density of stores, and it extends from the fountain square to the train station.
Tourism
There is some tourist activity in the city, as it includes 10 hotels, and the sand dunes, palm oases, the old palace, and the old castle are areas of tourist attractions.
Famous people of the city
- Harakati Mustafa, one of the martyrs of the revolution (executed with impunity)
- Sheikh Tohamy bin Al-Tohamy is the Imam of the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque and the head of religious affairs in Al-Saoura State.
- Sheikh Muhammad al-Mahdi Abbasi, the presenter of the Zayaniya corner in Bashar, and his supervisor of religious affairs.
- Mohamed Seddiqi is a politician who became famous for the National Election Monitoring Committee.
- Mustapha Ahmed Hamili
- Omar Slimi, Algerian footballer
- Mustapha Djellit, Algerian footballer
- Tohami Ennahda is a runner.
- Tawfiq Governor of the national handball team.
- Filali Hussein is a writer, journalist, and university professor
- Yasmina Khadra is a world-renowned writer, his books being translated and sold in 25 countries around the world.
- Mohamed Ould Cheikh
- Abdoun Mohamed Ismail
- Tiare Galdiano
- My friend Jilali
- Pierre Rabhi Inventor, agronomist and philosopher
- Souad Asla
- Fondue à l'ola
- Hajj Mohamed Belkabir
- Al-Hajj Al-Arabi Tiuti
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