Bordj Menaïel

This article is about Bordj Menaïel. For other uses, see Bordj Menaïel (disambiguation).

Bordj Menaïel (from the Arabic برج - bordj, "tower" and Berber imnayen "cavaliers") is a town in the Boumerdès Province in Algeria. It is located in the western Kabylie region at 36°44′30″N 3°43′23″E and is 30 km away from the city of Boumerdès. As of 2008, the population of the municipality is 64,820.^[2]

Bordj Menaïel برج منايل
City and Common
Nickname:  Burǧ Imnayen
Motto(s):  "From the people, for the people"
Location of Bordj Menaïel in the Boumerdès Province
Bordj Menaïel Location of Bordj Menaïel in the Algeria
Coordinates: 36.741667°N 3.723056°E / 36.741667; 3.723056
Country	Algeria
Province	Boumerdès Province
District	Bordj Menaïel District
APC	2012-2017
Government
• Type	Municipality
Population  (2008)
• Total	64,820[1]
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
ISO 3166 code	CP

Presentation

Bordj Menaïel was founded by the Ottoman government of Algeria, most likely in the 16th century, to guard a route between Algiers and Constantine and to secure control of the Isser plain.^[3] In the 18th century, its military role was superseded by the foundation of Bordj Sebaou further west, but it remained the residence of the Ottoman wakil administering the surrounding farmland.^[4]

The French conquest reached the fort of Bordj Menaïel in 1844, when General Bugeaud took it. Afterwards, it initially became the residence of the aghas of the Iflissen Umellil.^[5] In 1859, a French colony was created there by imperial decree, using 1718 hectares. It was enlarged through land expropriation in 1872 by Admiral de Gueydon, in the wake of the Mokrani Revolt.^[6]

History

Main article: History of Algeria

French conquest

Main article: French conquest of Algeria

• Expedition of the Col des Beni Aïcha (1837)
• First Battle of the Issers (1837)

Algerian Revolution

Main article: Algerian Revolution

Salafist terrorism

Main article: Salafist terrorism in Algeria

See also: Terrorist bombings in Algeria

• 2008 Zemmouri bombing (9 August 2008)
• 2010 Bordj Menaïel bombing (21 September 2010)

Transport

The road RN 12 runs through Bordj Menaïel, linking it with Isser to the west and Naciria to the east.^[7]

Sports

Algeria goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi was born in Bordj Menaiel. The local football team is JS Bordj Ménaïel.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Boumerdès Province

• Farouk Belkaïd, footballer
• Bachir Boudjelid, footballer
• Faouzi Chaouchi, footballer
• Zinedine Ferhat, footballer
• Omar Fetmouche, artist
• Hocine Mezali, journalist and writer
• Mustapha Toumi, songwriter, lyricist, composer, poet and painter
• Fatma Zohra Zamoum, writer and film-maker

References

• Algeria portal

• Charles-Claude Bernard, 1877. Notice topographique et médicale sur le plaine d'Isser. Blida: A. Mauguin.
• Kouider Djouab, 2017. Bordj-Menaïel, une ville, une histoire : La Ville des coquelicots. Saint Denis: Edilivre.