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 and is 30 km away from the city of Boumerdès. As of 2008, the population of the municipality is 64,820.
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.N. Robin, 1873, "Note sur l'organisation militaire et administrative des Turcs dans la Grande Kabylie", Revue Africaine, p. 134, (in French). In the 18th century, its military role was superseded by the foundation of Bordj Sebaou further west, but it remained the residence of the Ottoman wakil administering the surrounding farmland.N. Robin, 1873, "Note sur l'organisation militaire et administrative des Turcs dans la Grande Kabylie", Revue Africaine, p. 207, (in French).
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.Robin 1873:207. 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.Charles-Claude Bernard, 1877, Notice topographique et médicale sur le plaine d'Isser, pp. 36-39
History
French conquest
Expedition of the Col des Beni Aïcha (1837) First Battle of the Issers (1837)
Algerian Revolution
Salafist terrorism
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.
Sports Algeria goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi was born in Bordj Menaiel. The local football team is JS Bordj Ménaïel.
Notable people
Farouk Belkaïd, 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
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.
Notes