Khenchela

Khenchela is an inland city in northeastern Algeria and serves as the capital of the administrative Khenchela Province. Located within the Aurès Mountains at 1200 metres above sea level, the urban area has a population of 114472 residents and is primarily populated by Berber Chaouis.

The history of the settlement features several significant turning points across the centuries. During the 7th century, Kahina constructed a castle here while leading a decades-long war against the Islamic conquest. Centuries later, the arrival of the French army in 1850 marked a major administrative shift following heavy fighting and strenuous resistance. The French military established an administration that lasted until 1912, permitting the first French settlers in 1878 to construct farms and plantations. This agricultural development included clearing vegetation at the valley of Wadi Boughegal to generate natural grasslands for cattle breeding, which provided fresh dairy products for the local population.

A subsequent historical turning point occurred in October 1905 with the inauguration of a meter-gauge railway line connecting Aïn Beïda to Khenchela, establishing daily service with the northern part of the country. In the 20th century, the city experienced rapid population growth, rising from 12000 inhabitants in 1954 to 28000 in 1962, 70000 in 1987, and 87196 by 2002. This demographic expansion was driven partly by population displacement during the war in Algeria, as the region served as a refuge for resistance fighters and created ongoing planning challenges concerning housing, water, sewer, and electricity services.

Another profound turning point took place in 1982 with the discovery of a mass grave containing more than 1200 corpses from the war of Algeria, marking the largest mass grave ever discovered in the country. While authorities and the Algerian press attributed the site to the French army, other accounts disputed this explanation and suggested the victims may have been French harkis.