Touggourt
Encyclopedia
Touggourt is a city in Ouargla Province
, Algeria
, built around an oasis
in the Sahara
. It is notable for its date trees. It was formerly surrounded by a moat
, which the French
filled up. The surrounding oasis is very fertile. From Touggourt a road 61 miles long leads across the desert
north-east to El Oued
. 12 miles to the southwest is the oasis and town of Témacine. At Temacine, and some of the other oases surrounding the city, Berber
is spoken.
In 1414 the Sultanate of Touggourt was founded in southern Algeria. The known Sultan
s (and one Sultana
) were:
In 1854 the sultanate was abolished by the French colonial authorities.
Ouargla Province
Ouargla or Warqla is a province in eastern Algeria. Its capital is Ouargla. Other localities include Temacine, Touggourt, and Hassi Messaoud. It contains the Issaouane Erg desert.-History:...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, built around an oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is notable for its date trees. It was formerly surrounded by a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, which the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
filled up. The surrounding oasis is very fertile. From Touggourt a road 61 miles long leads across the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
north-east to El Oued
El Oued
El Oued or Oued Souf is a city in El Oued province, Algeria.. The oasis town is watered by an underground river, hence its name, which enables date palm cultivation and the rare use of brick construction for housing...
. 12 miles to the southwest is the oasis and town of Témacine. At Temacine, and some of the other oases surrounding the city, Berber
Oued Righ Berber
Oued Righ Berber, or Temacine Tamazight, is a Zenati Berber variety spoken in some of the oases of the Oued Righ region around Touggourt in Algeria. As of 1893, it was spoken in Temacine, Blidet-Amor, Meggarine and Ghomra. The only published study of it is Basset . It is closely related to...
is spoken.
In 1414 the Sultanate of Touggourt was founded in southern Algeria. The known Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
s (and one Sultana
Sultana (title)
The term Sultana is an Islamic title reserved for a few Muslim women rulers in history. It is sometimes mistaken for the title of the chief wife of a Sultan.-Overview:The most famous Sultana was Razia Sultana of India....
) were:
- Ali II
- Mabruk (Mubarak)
- Ali III
- Mustafa
- Sulayman III
- 1729 Ahmad II
- Muhammad I al-`Akhal
- Ahmad IV
- Farhat
- Ibrahim
- Abd al-Qadir I (1st time) + Ahmad V
- Khalid
- Abd al-Qadir I (2nd time)
- Umar bin Bu-Kumetin
- 1756 Muhammad II
- Umar II bin Muhammad
- Ahmad VI
- Abd al-Qadir II
- Farhat II
- 1792 Ibrahim II
- 1804 al-Khazan
- 1804 Muhammad III
- 1822 `Amar (`Amir) II
- 1830 Ibrahim III
- 1831 `Ali IV bin al-Kabir
- 1833 `Aisha (Aichouch)(female)
- 1840 `Abd ar-Rahman
- 1852 `Abd al-Qadir III
- 1852 - 1854 Sulayman IV
In 1854 the sultanate was abolished by the French colonial authorities.