Belezma Range

Belezma Range بلزمة
Landscape of the Belezma Range
Highest point
Peak	Djebel Refâa
Elevation	2178
Coordinates	35°40′0″N 5°54′0″E / 35.66667°N 5.90000°E / 35.66667; 5.90000Coordinates: 35°40′0″N 5°54′0″E / 35.66667°N 5.90000°E / 35.66667; 5.90000
Dimensions
Length	80 km (50 mi) ENE/WSW
Width	30 km (19 mi) NNW/SSE
Geography
Belezma Range بلزمة
Country	Algeria
State/Province	Batna
Parent range	Aurès Mountains
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny

The Belezma Range, also transliterated as Belzma (Arabic: بلزمة‎‎), is a prolongation of the Aurès Mountains, at the confluence of the Tell Atlas and the Saharan Atlas in northeastern Algeria. It is separated from the main Aurès Range by the Batna-El Kantara basin.

Geography and vegetation

The ridge is roughly aligned in an E-W direction. It is located at the western end of the Aurès Range, with the Hodna Mountains to the west. The highest peak, at 2,178 meters, is the Djebel Refâa. Other important peaks are 2,136 m high Djebel Tichaou and 2,090 m Djebel Touggourt (meaning 'Cedar Peak').

The Belezma Range has one of the most important natural Atlas Cedar forests of Algeria. It is qualified as a 'dry facies' pure forest owing to its location and the influence of the large deserts nearby, being located only 40 km north of the El Kantara gorges, and there has been a high mortality of the trees in recent times.^[1]

The Belezma mountains have been traditionally inhabited by the Houaras Chaoui people. There is very low population density in the area and villages are few.

Belezma Plain

The Belezma Plain (French: Plaine de Belezma) is an elevated intermontane basin located to the Northwest between the area of the National Park and Mount Mestaoua. Its main town is Merouana at 1012 m over sea level. The plain is one of the most fertile areas in the region and has traditionally been a granary for the local population. Mount Mestaoua, a veritable natural fortress, is a historical oppidum.

History

The Ksar of Belezma (35°40′35″N 5°54′09″E / 35.676402°N 5.902405°E / 35.676402; 5.902405) to the north of the range is the site of an ancient Byzantine fortress. The now ruined structure was once used as an observation outpost by the Muslim and Arab dynasties that followed the Byzantine domination.

This massif was the last refuge of Abu Yazid before his death.^[2]

Protected areas

Main article: Belezma National Park

The Belezma National Park is a protected area on the slopes of the range. It is one of the most important national parks of Algeria.^[3]

Features

View of the range with snow and the ruins of the Belezma ksar in the forefront.

View of one of the mountains of the range.

Hills of the Belezma range near Merouana and a view of the fertile plain in the distance.

References

↑ Briki Athmane, Mortalité du cèdre de l'Atlas dans la région des Aurès
↑ Conant, Jonathan (2012). Staying Roman : conquest and identity in Africa and the Mediterranean, 439-700. Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 280 -281. ISBN 0521196973.
↑ Belezma National Park - Travel to Algeria

External links

Media related to Aurès Mountains at Wikimedia Commons

Mountains of Algeria

Tell Atlas	Blidean Atlas Babor Mountains Beni-Chougrane Bibans Mount Chenoua Numidian Range Dahra Range Djurdjura Edough Kroumirie Ouarsenis Medjerda Mountains Murdjajo Constantine Mountains Saïda Mountains Tlemcen Mountains Titteri Tessala Range Trara Yemma Gouraya

Saharan Atlas	Amour Range Aurès Mountains Belezma Range Hodna Mountains Ksour Range Ouled Naïl Range Nememcha Range Zab Mountains

Saharan massifs	Ougarta Range Ahaggar Mountains Teffedest Mountains Tassili n'Ajjer Tadrart Rouge Adrar des Ifoghas

Peaks	Achaoun Anneb Djebel Antar Djebel Azao Djebel Chélia Djebel Grouz Djebel Guetiane Djebel Tsili Koudiat Béni Arif Koudiat Sidi Abdelkader Lalla Khedidja Maouna Mount Babor Mount Bissa Mount Issa Mount Tahat Mount Tamgout Mount Zaccar Pic des Singes Taourirt Tan Afella Thaletat

Geography of Algeria List of mountains in Algeria Atlas Mountains Hautes Plaines Kem Kem

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