Country Algeria Time zone CET (UTC+1) Local time Thursday 3:35 AM Population 339,248 (2008) | District Djelfa District Climate BSk Province Djelfa Province | |
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Weather 6°C, Wind N at 10 km/h, 89% Humidity Neighborhoods Self-Construction city, Sliman Amirat Neighborhood, Saadat | ||
الجلفة بلاد الكرم ,ناسها طيبين
Contents
Map of Djelfa, Algeria
Djelfa (Arabic: الجلفة al-Ǧilfah) is the capital city of Djelfa province, Algeria and the site of Ancient city and former bishopric Fallaba, which remains a Latin catholic titular see.
It has a population of 339,248 (2008 census). The city lies at the junction of the N1 and the N46.
Geography
It is a pleasant medium-size city, north-central Algeria, in the Ouled Nail Mountains at an elevation of 3,734 feet (1,138 m). It is situated between the towns of Bousaada and Laghouat. Djelfa town is at a point of transition between the dry, steppe-like High Plateaus of the north, with their chotts (intermittent salt lakes), and the Sahara (south). The town was founded in 1852 as a French military post on a geometric plan. It serves as an important livestock market centre for the semi-nomadic Ouled Nail confederation. Djelfa is on the 12,000 mile Africa Trail.
The surrounding region for centuries has been the meeting place of the Ouled Naïl people, who live in black-and-red striped tents and claim descent from the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.
History
The area is notable for its abundance of Neolithic rock carvings dating from 7000 to 5000 BC. North of Djelfa town there is an imposing physical feature known as Salt Rock (Rocher de Sel) that resulted from the erosion of rock salts and marls by rain. To the west of the town Megalithic funerary structures are found.
During Philippe Pétain's period, a concentration camp was placed in Djelfa.
Fallaba was important enough in the Late Roman province of Numidia to become one of the many suffragan bishoprics of its Metropolitan Archbishopric.
In the 11th century, the Fatimids sent the Banu Hilal to the Tripolitania, Tunisia and Constantine areas against the Zirids.
Ecclesiastical History
Like most bishoprics in Roman Africa, it faded.
Titular see
In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin Catholic titular bishopric.
It has had the following incumbents, mostly of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank with an archiepiscopal (intermediary) exception :
Culture
The inhabitants are also Ouled Naïl living in Biskra, M'Sila and in Saharan Atlas.
Climate
Djelfa has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), with more precipitation in winter than in summer. Snow is not unusual in winter.