Biskra

Biskra
/bis"krah/, n.
a town and oasis in NE Algeria, in the Sahara. 59,000.

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also called  (after 1981) Beskra,  

      town, northeastern Algeria, on the northern edge of the Sahara. It is the centre of the Zab (Ziban) group of oases south of a wide, open depression between the Aurès Massif and the Tell Atlas.

      On the site of Vescera, a fortified Roman post, Biskra prospered after Arab conquest in the 9th century. In the 1100s it was the semi-autonomous capital of the Zab region but later came under the influence of the Ḥafṣids. The Turks occupied Biskra in 1552. It was garrisoned by the French in 1844.

      Fort Saint-Germain (1849–51; built on the site of the former Turkish Casbah) became the nucleus of modern Biskra. Its location on the railway and road from Constantine to Touggourt, its airport, and its temperate climate (November to April) have made Biskra a winter resort of broad, tree-lined streets, hotels, shops, and public gardens. Hammam Salahine (“Bath of the Saints”), a well-known, modern health spa with hot sulfur springs, is located 3 miles (5 km) northwest of the town; the Romans called the sulfur springs Ad Piscinam and used them in the treatment of rheumatism and skin diseases. Scattered among the thousands of date palms and fruit trees are the sun-baked brick villages that make up Old Biskra. In the winter season, water collected in the Wadi Biskra Barrage (dam) irrigates fields of wheat and barley. The area was subjected to disastrous floods in 1969.

      The surrounding region is arid, a result of the dumping of rain in the Aurès mountains to the north. Two large salt lakes, Melrhír and Merouane, lie almost entirely below sea level. Most of the region's population lives in the area of Biskra or Souf oases. The oases stretch southward along the right bank of the Wadi Biskra, covering an area of 3,250 acres (1,300 hectares). Dates (especially the prized Deglet Nur, grown mostly in the Tolga oasis) are the principal crop of the region, but figs, pomegranates, and apricots are also grown. Pop. (1998) 170,956.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Biskra — (. In 2007, its population was recorded as 207,987.As of 1935, Biskra was an inland town, the principal settlement of a Saharan oasis watered by the intermittent Oued Biskra . It is in the southern part of the Algerian rail system, and a favorite …   Wikipedia

  • Biskra — (Biskăra), Stadt in der Provinz Constantine des französischen Algeriens, liegt in einer Oase der Sahara, welche von dem Wadi Biskra bewässert u. von dem arabischen Stamme der Biskris bewohnt wird u. viele Datteln, Eisen, Kalkstein, Salpeter, Salz …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Biskra — Biskra, Biskrah ou Beskra v. d Algérie, au S. du massif des Aurès, dans une grande oasis; 128 920 hab.; ch. l. de la wilaya du m. nom. Biskra (révolte de) révolte dirigée par le colonel algérien Chaabani contre le gouv. de Ben Bella, qui la… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Biskra — (Biscara), Bezirkshauptstadt in der alger. Provinz Konstantine, 111 m ü. M., an der Grenze der Sahara, durch Eisenbahn mit Konstantine verbunden, hat ein starkes Fort und (1901) 7554 Einw., wovon 707 Franzosen, 102 Juden und 6745 Berber. Araber… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Biskra — (Biskăra), Stadt in den Südterritorien Algeriens, in einer thermenreichen Oase (107.000 E.), Winterkurort, befestigter Militärposten, besteht aus Neu B., (1901) 7554 E., und Alt B. (69.354 E.) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Biskra — (en árabe: ولاية بسكرة ) es el nombre de una ciudad y de una wilaya de Argelia. Tolga es una de las famosas dairas de esta provincia. Enlace externo: [1] * * * ► C. de Argelia; 90 471 h. Cap. del vilayato homónimo (129 611 km2 y 662 778 h) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Biskra — 34°51′N 5°44′E / 34.85, 5.733 Biskra …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Biskra — ‏بسكرة‎ Biskra …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Biskra — Original name in latin Biskra Name in other language BSK, Biskra, Briskra, Tibeskert, bi si ke la, bisakra, biseukeula, bisukura, bskrh, bskrt, wlayt bskrt, Бискра, State code DZ Continent/City Africa/Algiers longitude 34.85038 latitude 5.72805… …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Biskra — Bịskra,   Oasenstadt in Algerien, 128 m über dem Meeresspiegel, am Südrand des Aurès, 129 600 Einwohner; Erholungs und Luftkurort an der Bahnlinie Constantine Touggourt, Ausgangspunkt der ostalgerischen Sahararouten;   Wirtschaft:  … …   Universal-Lexikon

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