Maghnia
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مغنية ⵎⵖⵏⵢⵢⴰ Maghnia |
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| Coordinates | 34 ° 51 ′ N , 1 ° 44 ′ W | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Algeria | ||
| Tlemcen | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | DZ-13 | ||
| height | 400 m | ||
| Residents | 87,373 (2008) | ||
 Maghnia - gate
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Maghnia or Marnia ( Arabic مغنية, Central Atlas Tamazight ⵎⵖⵏⵢⵢⴰ Meɣneyya ) is a north-western Algerian city with approx. 100,000 inhabitants and the capital of a municipality consisting of several villages with a total of approx. 125,000 inhabitants in the province of Tlemcen near the border with Morocco, which was closed in 1994 .
The city is particularly known for the Treaty of Lalla Marnia (Traité de Lalla-Marnia) of March 18, 1845 between Sultan Mulai Abd ar-Rahman of Morocco and Général Comte de la Rue (1795–1872) for France , in which the borders between Algeria and Morocco.
Location and climate
Maghnia is only a good 10 km east of the border with Morocco at an altitude of approx. 400 m . The historically significant city of Tlemcen is a good 60 km to the east. The climate is mostly dry and warm; Rain (approx. 365 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter months.
population
| year | 1977 | 1987 | 1998 | 2008 |
| Residents | 39,294 | 52,275 | 73,558 | 87,373 |
Since the 1960s, Maghnia has experienced an enormous immigration of families from the rural regions of Algeria.
economy
The economy in the area is mainly characterized by arable farming, grain and wool production. Due to the increasing population and decreasing rainfall in the area, the problem of water supply in the region around Maghnia is increasing. Maghnia has good road and rail links to other Algerian cities. The border crossing to the city of Oujda in Morocco, which is only 25 km away, was one of the most important in the country until it was closed in 1994. The east-west motorway ends west of the city on the Moroccan border.
history
There are archaeological finds in the area that indicate prehistoric settlement; later came the Berbers , but also the Phoenicians and Romans . In 1836, the newly arrived French forces discovered the remains of burned down guards from the time of the Roman Empire . According to the inscriptions, these posts were from a Numerus Syrorum , i.e. H. occupied by Syrian archers . Maghnia was thus probably the westernmost outpost of the province of Mauretania Caesariensis .
Due to the geographical location between the cities of Fez and Tlemcen , the Arabs also passed here in 710 . From the 11th to the 14th centuries, the area around Tlemcen was disputed between the native Abdalwadids and Moroccan invaders ( Almoravids , Almohads and Merinids ). From 1554 it belonged to the Ottoman Empire . From 1830/48 to 1962 Maghnia was part of the French colony of Algeria . In 1844, French troops erected a redoubt there , around which a modern city emerged.
Attractions
- One of the main attractions of Maghnia is the mausoleum, which was probably built in the 18th century and named after the city (Lalla Marnia), who is venerated as a saint .
- A popular excursion destination is the mineral fountain of Hammam Boughrara approx. 10 km to the northeast .
sons and daughters of the town
- Ahmed Ben Bella (1918–2012), first president of independent Algeria
- Mohamed Khemisti (1930–1963), Algeria's first foreign minister
- Sid Ahmed Ghozali (* 1937), former Algerian politician
- Mehdi Charef (* 1952), writer, film director and playwright
literature
- A. Maraval-Berthoin: La legend de Lalla Maghnia d'après la tradition arabe. Paris 1927
