Zemmouri
Zemmouri is a town and commune in the Bordj Menaïel District of Boumerdès Province, Algeria. As of 2008, the population of the municipality is 26,408.[1]
Zemmouri زموري | |
---|---|
Commune and town | |
Zemmouri | |
Coordinates: 36°47′N 3°36′E | |
Country | |
Province | Boumerdès Province |
Population (2008) | |
• Total | 26,408 |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
History
The coastal site of Zemmouri El-Bahri was a Phoenician and later Roman settlement named Rusubbicari.[2] In the medieval period, it became a small port named Marsā al-Dajāj (literally "chicken port"). Archeological research there has uncovered medieval structures and pottery, as well as Roman coins.[3]
By the 19th century the main village, slightly further inland, was known as Zemmouri (usually spelled Zamouri or Zemouri at the time). In 1872 the French government established a colonial settlement there using land confiscated from the Isser el-Ouidan tribe and from private individuals in the wake of the Mokrani Revolt;[4] in 1886 it was renamed Courbet, after Admiral Amédée Courbet.[5] Following Algeria's independence in 1962, the name Zemmouri was restored.
Geology
The disastrous 2003 Boumerdès earthquake led to the discovery of a thrust fault; it was subsequently named after the town. The fault has since been incorporated into seismic hazard maps, which will serve as an important guideline for public safety.[6]
Nature
To the northwest of the town, the Sahel Forest and the coastal dunes on which it grows are dominated by Aleppo pine and other Mediterranean maquis flora, and constitute a tourist attraction.[7]
Notable people
- Abdelhafid Benchabla, boxer
- Ali Rial, footballer
References
- Salama, Pierre. Sites commerciaux antiques sur le littoral de l’Algérois. In: Mélanges de l'École française de Rome. Antiquité, vol. 118, n°2. 2006. pp. 527-547.
- Le site archéologique de Zemmouri El-Bahri continue de surprendre : De nouvelles découvertes de l’époque médiévale et romaine, Liberté 23-09-2017
- Alain Mahé, 2001, Histoire de la Grande Kabylie, XIXe-XXe siècles, p. 583; Bulletin officiel du gouvernement général de l'Algérie, Volume 16, p. 136, arrété du 19 juillet 1875
- Notre village Courbet (Algérie), ch. III. IV
- Curtis L. Edwards, ed. (2004). Zemmouri, Algeria, Mw6.8 Earthquake of May 21, 2003. Reston, VA: ASCE, TCLEE. ISBN 9780784407462.
- Programme d’Aménagement Côtier (PAC) "Zone côtière algéroise", p. 9