Blida

Province

Blida (Arabic البليدة, DMG al - Bulaida ) is a town in northern Algeria with about 265,000 (2005) inhabitants. It is located in the eponymous province of Blida, whose capital it is. Her name means small town. It is often called Ville des Roses ( City of Roses ).

Geographical location

The city is located about 40 km south of the Algerian capital Algiers in approximately 260 m altitude in the Mitidja, a wide valley of the Tell Atlas. The Mediterranean coast is about 30 km away. Immediately to the south of the city lies a vast mountain range with the 1500 m high altitude tourist destination Chréa and the south extending therefrom National Park of Chréa, a listed by the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

History

The Romans erected on the spot where is now the city, a field camp. 1535 Moorish Muslim refugees from Andalusia settled there and began to create irrigated orange groves. During the Ottoman period, Blida has developed into a prosperous place, withdrew himself to the rich inhabitants of Algiers. 1825 Blida was destroyed by an earthquake. 13 years later, in 1838, it was occupied by French troops, who established a garrison there. Only a few decades later, in 1867, Blida was again destroyed by an earthquake.

Traffic

Blida is located at the coming of Algiers Route 1, also known as Trans-Saharan Highway, which turns here to the south and the mountains in the Gorges de la Chiffa (Canyon of Chiffa ) traversed by Médéa. It lies on the railway line opened in 1860 from Algiers to Blida, which was founded in 1890 with the railway line through the Gorges de la Chiffa after Berruaghia and later extended to Djelfa. The railway line from Oran to Algiers also via Blida. The still partly under construction east-west highway passes to the north of Blida. The cable car Blida - Chréa facilitates the access to the place in the mountains.

Cultural life

Blida has a university ( Université Saad Dahlab Blida ).

Sons and daughters of the city

  • Edouard de Nieuport (1875-1911), French cyclist, aviation pioneer and entrepreneur
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