Aurès

Aurès (Amazigh: ⴰⵡⵔⴰⵙ / Awras, Arabic: أَوْرَاس, romanized: Awrās) is an Amazigh language-speaking natural region located in the mountainous area of the Aurès range in eastern Algeria. The region includes the Algerian provinces of Batna, Tebessa, Khenchela, Oum El Bouaghi, Souk Ahras and Biskra.

Aurès

ⴰⵡⵔⴰⵙ

Arabic: أَورَاس, romanized: Awrās
Natural region
Landscape of the Aurès in Ras el Aïoun
A map of northern Algeria showing the location of the Aurès region in red and the greater region in green
CountryAlgeria
Elevation
450 m (1,480 ft)

History

The Awras or Aurès region is characterized both by its mountain terrain and by the Berber Chaoui ethnic group that historically has inhabited the area. The rugged terrain of the Aurès made that the region became one of the less developed areas in the Maghreb. Traditionally the women of the region wore tattoos.[1]

It was in the Aurès region that the Algerian War of Independence was started by Berber independence fighters such as Mostefa Ben Boulaïd who were operating from the area.[2] A district of Algeria that existed during and after the War of Independence, from 1962 to 1974, was named after this region.

See also

References

  1. Behind Algeria's Tattoos: A Portrait Series
  2. Algeria, 1830-2000: A Short History, p.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.