M'sila ( ) is a province () of northern Algeria. It has a population of 958,361 people and an area of , with a density of 74/square kilometer, while its capital, also called M'sila, home to M'sila University, has a population of about 100,000.

Localities include Bou Saada and Maadid. Chott El Hodna, a salt lake, crosses into M'sila. However, most of the region is semi-arid and undeveloped.

Additionally, M'sila was the location of the first village constructed as part of a government-run program to transition nomadic Algerians to sedentary life using local materials.

The village, now complete, was dubbed Maader and consists of houses, public and trading areas, and a mosque.

History The province was created from parts of Batna (département), Médéa (département) and Sétif (département) in 1974.

Administrative divisions The province is divided into 15 districts (daïras), which are further divided into 47 communes or municipalities.

Districts

Aïn El Hadjel Aïn El Melh Ben S'Rour Bou Saâda Chellal Djebel Messaâd Hammam Dhalaâ Khoubana M'sila Magra Medjedel Ouled Derradj Ouled Sidi Brahim Sidi Aïssa Sidi Ameur

Communes

1. Aïn El Hadjel 2. Aïn El Melh 3. Aïn Errich 4. Aïn Fares 5. Aïn Khadra 6. Belaïba 7. Ben Srour 8. Beni Ilmane 9. Benzouh 10. Berhoum 11. Bir Foda 12. Bou-Saâda 13. Bouti Sayeh 14. Chellal 15. Dehahna 16. Djebel Messaad 17. El Hamel 18. El Houamed 19. Hammam Dhalaa 20. Khoubana 21. Khatouti Sed Eldjir 22. Maadid 23. Maarif 24. Magra 25. M'cif 26. Medjedel 27. M'sila 28. M'Tarfa 29. Ouled Atia 30. Mohamed Boudiaf 31. Ouanougha 32. Ouled Addi Guebala 33. Ouled Derraj 34. Ouled Madhi 35. Ouled Mansour 36. Ouled Sidi Brahim 37. Ouled Slimane 38. Oultene 39. Sidi Aïssa 40. Sidi Ameur 41. Sidi Hadjeres 42. Sidi M'hamed 43. Slim 44. Souamaa 45. Tamsa 46. Tarmount 47. Zarzour

Zawiya

Zawiyet El Hamel

The creation of the Zaouïa complex dates back to the 19th century, founded by born in 1823 in the vicinity of Hassi Bahbah in the Djelfa Province. After he died in 1897, his daughter Lalla Zaynab succeeded him until 1904.

The zaouïa consists of a mosque, a Koranic school, and the mausoleum where the founder and his successors rest.

See also

Hodna

References

External links Encyclopaedia of the Orient - a brief description of M'sila, focusing on its capital BBC - a news article about some recent violence in M'sila Archnet - focuses on the Maader village project Wetlands International - an in-depth description of M'sila's wetland