Souk Ahras
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Commune of Souk Ahras | |
| بلدية سوق أهراس | |
 Former city hall of Souk Ahras, now used as a municipal teather |
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 Map of Algeria highlighting Souk Ahras local media = Media:www.souk-ahras.info Province |
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 Map of Souk Ahras local media = Media:www.souk-ahras.info Province highlighting Souk Ahras Municipality |
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| ONS code | 4101 |
| Postal code | 41000 |
| Province | [[Souk Ahras
local media = Media:www.souk-ahras.info Province|Souk Ahras local media = Media:www.souk-ahras.info]] (seat) |
| District | Souk Ahras (coextensive) |
| PMA Seats | 23 |
| Altitude | 699 m (2296 ft) |
| Population | 116 745 (1998) |
Souk Ahras (Arabic: سوق أهراس; Chaoui: 
) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Souk Ahras Province.
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[edit] Etymology
The name derives from the Arabic word "souk" which means market, and the Chaoui word ahra (plural ahras) which means lion, in reference to the Barbary lions which existed in the neighboring forests until their extinction in 1930; hence Souk Ahras means market of lions.
[edit] History
The Numidian city of Thagaste on whose ruins Souk Ahras was built, was situated in the northeastern highlands of Numidia, short afterwards, it becomes Roman. It was about sixty miles from Hippo Regius, now called Annaba, and about 150 miles from Carthage (on the coast of present day Tunisia). It was the birthplace of Augustine of Hippo.[1] The city was mentioned by Pliny the Elder. Besides Saint Augustine, there were many other bishops who served Thagaste, among them are:
- Saint Fermin
- Saint Alype, a friend of Augustine
- Saint Januarius
In the nineteenth century it was a French colonial settlement. In the twentieth century mining and the railway brought some signicance and prosperity to the town. Today, Tagaste is in the province of Souk Ahras in Eastern Algeria.
[edit] References
- ^
"Thagaste". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.
local media : Media:www.souk-ahras.info
[edit] External links
- Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. Geographical information on Souk Ahras, Algeria (English). Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
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