Sidi Bel Abbès
Algeria · Africa
About Sidi Bel Abbès
Sidi Bel Abbès (Arabic: سيدي بلعباس, romanized: Sīdī Bu ’l-ʿAbbās), also called Bel Abbès, is the capital (2005 pop. 200,000) of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya (2005 pop. 590,000), Algeria. It is named after Sidi bel Abbass, a Muslim marabout or noble man who is buried there. The city is the commercial center of an important area of vineyards, market gardens, orchards, and grain fields. It was formerly surrounded by a wall with four gates, and today is home to a university. Sidi Bel Abbès is 75 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea.
The present city, on the Wadi Sig River, developed around a French camp built in 1843. In 1849 a planned agricultural town was established around the existing military post. From the 1830s until 1962 the city was closely associated with the French Foreign Legion, being the location of its basic training camp, and the headquarters of its 1st Foreign Regiment. In the late 1890s the town, described as being of Spanish appearance, had a civilian population of about 30,000. The main buildings were in the French military district of the Quartier Vienot. The training centre of the modern Algerian National Gendarmerie is located in Sidi Bel Abbès.
Sidi Bel Abbès travel guide
Understand
Sidi Bel Abbes is the commercial center of an important area of vineyards, market gardens, orchards, and grain fields. Historically tied with the French Foreign Legion, it previously was enclosed with walls and had four gates. Now it has a university. It is 75 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. Sidi Bel Abbes province is divided into 15 districts (daïras), which are further divided into 52 communes or municipalities.
Getting there
Sidi Bel Abbes is well connected to other Algerian cities by roads and railroads. Oran is 70 kilometers north and Tlemcen is 90 kilometers west of Sidi Bel Abbès. The closest airport is Es Senia Airport in Oran.
1 Sidi Bel Abbès railway station. (updated Jul 2022)
See
1 Château Vilumbrales (Chateau du Roi d'Espagne), Rue de Medine and Blvd Col Amirouche. Just some interesting architectureː it is said to formerly be the residence of some Spanish royalty. (updated Oct 2020) 2 Municipal Palace, Blvd Emir Abdelkader. Nice example of French château architecture. Across the way is the Mosquée Abou Bakr Essedik, sometimes lit up like a lime. (updated Oct 2020)
Sleep
Hotel chain Metropole has three different locations in the city.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.