Djelfa

Djelfa
الجلفة
City

Overview of Djelfa
Djelfa

Location in Algeria

Coordinates: 34°40′N 3°15′E / 34.667°N 3.250°E / 34.667; 3.250Coordinates: 34°40′N 3°15′E / 34.667°N 3.250°E / 34.667; 3.250
Country  Algeria
Province Djelfa Province
District Djelfa District
Population (2008)
 • Total 339,248
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
Climate BSk

Djelfa (Arabic: الجلفة‎‎ al-Ǧilfah) is the capital city of Djelfa province, Algeria and the site of Ancient city and former bishopric Fallaba, which remains a Latin catholic titular see.

It has a population of 339,248 (2008 census). The city lies at the junction of the N1 and the N46.

Geography

It is a pleasant medium-size city, north-central Algeria, in the Ouled Nail Mountains at an elevation of 3,734 feet (1,138 m). It is situated between the towns of Bousaada and Laghouat. Djelfa town is at a point of transition between the dry, steppe-like High Plateaus of the north, with their chotts (intermittent salt lakes), and the Sahara (south). The town was founded in 1852 as a French military post on a geometric plan. It serves as an important livestock market centre for the semi-nomadic Ouled Nail confederation. Djelfa is on the 12,000 mile Africa Trail.

Neolithic art in Djelfa

The surrounding region for centuries has been the meeting place of the Ouled Naïl people, who live in black-and-red striped tents and claim descent from the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

History

The area is notable for its abundance of Neolithic rock carvings dating from 7000 to 5000 BC. North of Djelfa town there is an imposing physical feature known as Rocher de Sel (English: Salt Rock) that resulted from the erosion of rock salts and marls by rain.[1] To the west of the town Megalithic funerary structures are found.

During the Roman Empire a Roman town called Fallaba was built on the site of Djelfa.[2] That town lasted unto late antiquity.

In the 11th century, the Fatimids sent the Banu Hilal to the Tripolitania, Tunisia and Constantine areas against the Zirids.

During Philippe Pétain's period, a concentration camp was placed in Djelfa.[3]

Ecclesiastical History

During the Vandal and Roman Empires the town was the seat of an ancient Bishopric.[4] [5] The bishopric was important enough in the Late Roman province of Numidia to become one of the many suffragan bishoprics of its Metropolitan Archbishopric in Carthage.[6][7]

It is possible that Christianity came to the town only after the rule of Constantine the Great, as there is no record of the bishopric under the Romans. The only known bishop of this African diocese is the Catholic bishop Salo mentioned in 484. This is considerably late compared to many of the other diocese in Numidia. Bishop Salo took part in the synod assembled in Carthage by the Arian ruler, Huneric of the Vandal Kingdom, after the Synod Salo was exiled (probably) to Vandal controlled Sicily.


Like most bishoprics in Roman Africa, it faded after the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb.

Titular see

In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin Catholic titular bishopric.[8]

It has had the following incumbents, mostly of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank with an archiepiscopal (intermediary) exception :

Culture

The inhabitants are also Ouled Naïl living in Biskra, M'Sila and in Saharan Atlas.

Climate

Djelfa has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), with more precipitation in winter than in summer. Snow is not unusual in winter.

Climate data for Djelfa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.0
(71.6)		 25.5
(77.9)		 29.3
(84.7)		 33.2
(91.8)		 38.4
(101.1)		 39.6
(103.3)		 41.8
(107.2)		 39.2
(102.6)		 37.0
(98.6)		 38.0
(100.4)		 28.8
(83.8)		 24.5
(76.1)		 41.8
(107.2)
Average high °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6)		 12.0
(53.6)		 15.1
(59.2)		 18.3
(64.9)		 23.5
(74.3)		 29.9
(85.8)		 33.8
(92.8)		 32.9
(91.2)		 27.5
(81.5)		 21.1
(70)		 14.4
(57.9)		 10.8
(51.4)		 20.8
(69.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.0
(41)		 6.6
(43.9)		 9.0
(48.2)		 12.0
(53.6)		 16.8
(62.2)		 22.6
(72.7)		 26.1
(79)		 25.4
(77.7)		 20.7
(69.3)		 15.2
(59.4)		 9.4
(48.9)		 6.1
(43)		 14.6
(58.3)
Average low °C (°F) 0.1
(32.2)		 1.2
(34.2)		 2.9
(37.2)		 5.7
(42.3)		 10.0
(50)		 15.2
(59.4)		 18.3
(64.9)		 17.8
(64)		 13.9
(57)		 9.2
(48.6)		 4.3
(39.7)		 1.4
(34.5)		 8.3
(46.9)
Record low °C (°F) −12.0
(10.4)		 −9.0
(15.8)		 −7.2
(19)		 −3.9
(25)		 0.3
(32.5)		 3.6
(38.5)		 9.0
(48.2)		 8.0
(46.4)		 2.0
(35.6)		 0.0
(32)		 −11.0
(12.2)		 −8.0
(17.6)		 −12
(10.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 36.2
(1.425)		 26.8
(1.055)		 27.0
(1.063)		 28.8
(1.134)		 33.9
(1.335)		 19.6
(0.772)		 9.8
(0.386)		 18.0
(0.709)		 30.4
(1.197)		 27.5
(1.083)		 29.7
(1.169)		 30.2
(1.189)		 317.9
(12.516)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.7 7.6 7.0 6.7 6.6 5.0 3.8 4.8 6.5 7.0 7.9 9.3 81.9
Average relative humidity (%) 72.9 66.8 58.0 53.9 47.3 36.5 30.3 33.8 49.0 57.3 69.1 77.2 54.34
Source #1: World Meteorological Organization (average temperatures and precipitation, 1976–2005)[9]
Source #2: climatebase.ru (extremes, humidity)[10]

References

  1. ↑ Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 321. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.
  2. ↑ Fallaba at www.gcatholic.org
  3. ↑ http://www.apra.asso.fr/Camps/En/Camp-Djelfa.html
  4. ↑ Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, (Leipzig, 1931), p. 465.
  5. ↑ Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa christiana, Volume I, (Brescia, 1816), p. 156.
  6. ↑ Fallaba at www.gcatholic.org
  7. ↑ La sede titolare at catholic-hierarchy.org.
  8. ↑ Fallaba at www.gcatholic.org
  9. ↑ "World Weather Information Service–Djelfa". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  10. ↑ "Djelfa, Algeria". Climatebase.ru. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
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