Sidi Bel Abbès

Sidi Bel Abbès

سيدي بلعباس
Sidi Bel Abbès سيدي بلعباس
City
	A street in Sidi Bel Abbès
	Location of Sidi Bel Abbès in the Sidi Bel Abbès Province
	Sidi Bel Abbès Location of Sidi Bel Abbès in Algeria Sidi Bel Abbès Sidi Bel Abbès (Africa)
	Coordinates: 35°11′38″N 0°38′29″W / 35.19389°N 0.64139°W
Country	Algeria
Province	Sidi Bel Abbès Province
District	Sidi Bel Abbès District
APC	Miloud Magherbi (2021-2026)
Government
• Type	Municipality
Area
• Total	30 sq mi (70 km2)
Elevation	1,540 ft (470 m)
Population (2008)
• Total	212,935
• Density	7,900/sq mi (3,000/km2)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
Postal code	22000
Area code	048
ISO 3166 code	CP

Sidi Bel Abbès (Arabic: سيدي بلعباس), also called Bel Abbès, is the capital (2005 pop. 200,000)^[1] of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya (2005 pop. 590,000), Algeria. It is named after Sidi bel Abbass, a Muslim marabout or noble man who is buried there.^[1] The city is the commercial center of an important area of vineyards, market gardens, orchards, and grain fields. It was formerly surrounded by a wall with four gates, and today is home to a university. Sidi Bel Abbès is 75 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea.

History

The present city, on the Wadi Sig River, developed around a French camp built in 1843. In 1849 a planned agricultural town was established around the existing military post. From the 1830s until 1962 the city was closely associated with the French Foreign Legion, being the location of its basic training camp, and the headquarters of its 1st Foreign Regiment. In the late 1890s the town, described as being of Spanish appearance, had a civilian population of about 30,000.^[2] The main buildings were in the French military district of the Quartier Vienot.The training centre of the modern Algerian National Gendarmerie is located in Sidi Bel Abbès.

In the 1930s much of the old city walls were demolished. Wide boulevards and squares replaced the traditional quarters, causing the town to lose much of its former character.

Geography

The city sits astride both banks of the Sig River, and lake Sidi Mohamed Benali. The lake provides a major water reserve for the area.

Climate

Sidi Bel Abbès has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk).

Climate data for Sidi Bel Abbès (1991–2020)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	24.5 (76.1)	30.5 (86.9)	33.6 (92.5)	35.1 (95.2)	42.7 (108.9)	43.7 (110.7)	44.9 (112.8)	45.0 (113.0)	41.4 (106.5)	38.6 (101.5)	31.2 (88.2)	28.0 (82.4)	45.0 (113.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	15.4 (59.7)	16.4 (61.5)	19.1 (66.4)	21.7 (71.1)	26.2 (79.2)	31.3 (88.3)	35.5 (95.9)	35.6 (96.1)	30.4 (86.7)	26.0 (78.8)	19.5 (67.1)	16.3 (61.3)	24.4 (75.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)	9.0 (48.2)	9.9 (49.8)	12.2 (54.0)	14.5 (58.1)	18.4 (65.1)	23.0 (73.4)	26.8 (80.2)	27.1 (80.8)	22.8 (73.0)	18.7 (65.7)	13.2 (55.8)	10.3 (50.5)	17.2 (63.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	2.7 (36.9)	3.4 (38.1)	5.4 (41.7)	7.2 (45.0)	10.6 (51.1)	14.6 (58.3)	18.1 (64.6)	18.5 (65.3)	15.2 (59.4)	11.4 (52.5)	6.9 (44.4)	4.2 (39.6)	9.8 (49.6)
Record low °C (°F)	−9.4 (15.1)	−5.5 (22.1)	−4.2 (24.4)	−2.0 (28.4)	−1.5 (29.3)	5.3 (41.5)	8.4 (47.1)	6.7 (44.1)	4.4 (39.9)	0.8 (33.4)	−3.8 (25.2)	−6.6 (20.1)	−9.4 (15.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	49.0 (1.93)	38.0 (1.50)	37.8 (1.49)	32.4 (1.28)	22.9 (0.90)	7.4 (0.29)	2.0 (0.08)	4.2 (0.17)	20.6 (0.81)	29.2 (1.15)	50.9 (2.00)	41.4 (1.63)	335.8 (13.22)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	6.5	5.8	5.4	5.0	3.5	1.1	0.3	1.0	3.0	3.8	5.9	5.5	46.8
Source: NOAA^[3]

Neighborhoods

Sidi Bel Abbès has 26 regional neighborhoods. These are: Campus, Ben Hamouda, American Village, Rocher, Sidi Djilali, Environment, Gambetta, Maconi, Soricor, La Brimer, Londeau, Sidi Yacine, Saqia Hamra, Village Perrin, Village Bira, Adda boudjelal, El Makam, El madina el Mounaouara, Bab Eddaya, Boumlik (Campo), Downtown, Grebah, Cimitiere Houria, Cite 20 Aout, Village Tierre, Village de Gaulle.

Culture

Music

Rai music is the most famous music in the city and it is known of many rai chebs Like Djilali Amarna.

Sport

Association football is the most popular sport in the city. The local football team is USM Bel Abbès, which plays in 24 Fevrier Stadium. Basketball, handball, and volleyball are also popular and are played in middle and high schools or sports complexes, such as Adda Boudjelal Sportive Complex. The city also has a rugby union club, MC Sidi Bel Abbès.

Economy

The economy centers on agriculture, particularly the production of cereals such as wheat and barley and the grape industry. A farm machine manufacturing complex is located there.^[1] There is an industrial zone which plays a major role in the city's economy.

Markets

There are many markets in Sidi Bel Abbès. Souk el Felah and Souk el Lile are the main two markets for fruit and vegetables.

Education

University Djillali Liabès of Sidi Bel Abbès

Transportation

Route

Sidi Bel Abbès is well connected to other Algerian cities by roads. Oran is 70 kilometers north and Tlemcen is 90 kilometers west. The West-East Route passes near the city.

Airport

The closest international airport is Oran Es Sénia,^[1] but the city is served by a domestic one: Sidi Bel Abbès Airport (IATA: BFW, ICAO: DAOS) but it is not for the public use.

Tramway

The Sidi Bel Abbès tramway line was opened on July 25, 2017.^[4] The light rail line is 14.7 kilometers in length, with 22 stations covering most of the main points in the city such as 3 Bus stations, Daira, University campus, Down Town, and Public Garden, although it doesn't serve the west of the city and the south.

Train

Sidi Bel Abbès has a railway station from which trains travel to Oran, Tlemcen, Bechar and Saïda. A rail link between Algeria and Morocco passes through the city but this link has been discontinued for political reasons.

Tourism

Landmarks

Sidi Bel Abbès has several historical landmarks. These include Place Carnot which was renamed Place 1er Novembre after independence. This is a square situated in the central city. Perrin Castle is a fortress situated between Sidi Bel Abbès and Sidi Lahcene and built in the French style of architecture, The town hall, also built in the historical French pattern was formally a cathedral. The FLN party office was in colonial times a military building.

Hotels

Sidi Bel Abbès has five hotels, including Beni tella and Eden, "Metropole I", "Metropole II", "Quods".

Notable people

René Raphaël Viviani (November 8, 1863 – September 7, 1925), a French politician of the Third Republic, who served as Prime Minister for the first year of World War I
Marco Torrès (January 22, 1888 - January 15, 1963), Olympic gymnast, two-time World All-Around Champion
Gaston Maurice Julia (February 3, 1893 – March 19, 1978), mathematician famous for the Julia set in chaos theory
Marcel Cerdan (1916–49), French boxer, known as Le Bombardier Marocain ("The Moroccan Bomber")
Mohammed Bedjaoui (born 21 September 1929), foreign minister, former Minister of Justice (1964–70), Ambassador to France (1970–79) and Algerian permanent representative to the UN (1979–82). He was a judge on the International Court of Justice at The Hague (1982–2001).
Jean Boyer (1948–2004), French organist
Brigitte Giraud (born 1960), French writer
Kad Merad (1964), actor in the 2008 French comedy film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis
Éric Delétang (born 1966), former French professional footballer

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Sidi Bel Abbes, lexicorient.com (Encyclopaedia of the Orient), internet article.
^ Martin Windrow, page 138 Our Friends Beneath the Sands - The Foreign Legion in France's Colonial Conquests 1870-1935, ISBN 978-0-297-85213-1
^ "Sidi Bel Abbès Climate Normals 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
^ Barrow, Keith. "Sidi Bel Abbès opens first light rail line". Retrieved 2017-07-26.