Tlemcen

Algeria - Northwest Algeria

Tlemcen backed by the cliffs of the Tlemcen Mountains overlooks the fertile Hennaya and Maghnia plains and is sufficiently inland to avoid the humidity of the Mediterranean Sea coast but close enough to revel in cooling sea breezes in summer.

Dating from the twelfth century, most of the cityā€™s medieval buildings reflect the influence of the Moors. Discover the The Mosque of SÄ«dĆ­ bel įø¤assan, the MĆ©chouar, or citadel, now a military hospital and barracks and fourteenth-century reservoir, called, the Sahrij, or Great Basin and the Grotto of Rabbi Ephraim ben Israel Ankawa, all notable landmarks.

Take time out to wander down winding, narrow, arched streets crowded with shops, cafƩs, and mosques. If you are interested in Hispano-Moorish art, visit the ruins of the Marīnid city of Mansoura to the west.

Tlemcen trades in agricultural products and textiles, leather, silk and metal handicrafts. The population is an exciting mixture of cultures, divided between the Hadars, called the middle class, and descended from the Moors and the Koulouglis who are descendants of Turks and Arab women, each living within their own sector.

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