Aïn Séfra
title: "Aïn Séfra" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-naâma-province", "1881-establishments-in-algeria"] topic_path: "general/communes-of-naama-province" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aïn_Séfra" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Aïn Séfra |
| official_name | Aïn Sefra |
| native_name | عين الصفراء |
| native_name_lang | ar |
| type | Municipality |
| image_skyline | Vue d Ain Sefra, Algérie.jpg |
| image_alt | Aïn Séfra |
| image_map | DZ - 45 Ain Sefra.svg |
| mapsize | 180px |
| map_caption | Location of Aïn Séfra within Naâma Province |
| pushpin_map | Algeria |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of Aïn Séfra within Algeria |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Algeria |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Naâma |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| subdivision_name2 | Aïn Séfra (seat) |
| established_title | |
| seat_type | District seat |
| leader_title | PMA Seats |
| leader_name | 11 |
| leader_title1 | |
| leader_title2 | |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| elevation_m | 1081 |
| population_total | 52320 |
| population_as_of | 2008 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| timezone1 | CET |
| utc_offset1 | +01 |
| postal_code_type | Postal code |
| postal_code | 45200 |
| area_code_type | |
| area_code | |
| blank_name_sec1 | ONS code |
| blank_info_sec1 | 4503 |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Aïn Séfra | official_name = Aïn Sefra | native_name = عين الصفراء | native_name_lang = ar | type = Municipality | image_skyline = Vue d Ain Sefra, Algérie.jpg | image_alt = Aïn Séfra | image_caption = | image_shield = | nickname = | image_map = DZ - 45 Ain Sefra.svg | mapsize = 180px | map_caption = Location of Aïn Séfra within Naâma Province | pushpin_map = Algeria | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Aïn Séfra within Algeria | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Algeria | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Naâma | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Aïn Séfra (seat) | established_title = | established_date = | seat_type = District seat | seat = | government_footnotes = | leader_title = PMA Seats | leader_name = 11 | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 1081 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 52320 | population_as_of = 2008 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | timezone1 = CET | utc_offset1 = +01 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 45200 | area_code_type = | area_code = | blank_name_sec1 = ONS code | blank_info_sec1 = 4503 | website = | footnotes =
Aïn Séfra (, lit. yellow spring) is a municipality in Naâma Province, Algeria. It is the district seat of Aïn Séfra District and it has a population of 47,415, which gives it 11 seats in the PMA. Its postal code is 45200 and its municipal code is 4503. It is the second most populated municipality in the province after Mécheria.
History
The Ksar of Aïn-Séfra was erected around the year 1586 by the children of Mohamed Benchaïb, known as Bou Dekhil, patron saint of the city, after the purchase of the land from local tribes against 1000 sheep, according to the tales of oral tradition.
French Period
During the first French incursions in the middle of the 19th century, the majority of "Chorfa" families left the ksar as refugees, mainly to Tlemcen and Fez.
The modern city dates back to the French colonial era. Initially, in 1882, a strategic military garrison post consequent to the revolt of Sheikh Bouamama left their bastion of Figuig. French troops have instead established a military post at the site of Aïn-Séfra, to control "The Gateway to the Sahara". A railway reached Aïn-Séfra as early as 1887, and it extended to Bechar and Kenadsa in 1906, both for economic and strategic reasons.
During the colonial period, it was an important sub-prefecture and a military territory, but also a region of cultural, economic and political importance. The region where Aïn-Séfra is located was one of the bastions of the popular resistance against the French colonial conquest, south of Oran.
Geography
Climate
Aïn Séfra has a cold arid climate (Köppen BWk) with hot to sweltering summers and, owing to its elevation, cool to relatively cold winters, despite its location in the Sahara Desert.
Snow has been recorded on rare occasions. It lightly snowed on 18 February 1979 for the first time in recorded history, and again on 16 December 2016 and in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022. and 2017/2018. An unusual blizzard hit the area on 20 January 2017, dumping snow in the municipality up to a meter thick in some places. This was the largest snowfall in residents' memories and caused travel disruptions due to iced roads.
|width = auto |location = Aïn Séfra (1991-2020, extremes for 1913-1938 and 1991-2020) |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 25.3 |Feb record high C = 27.7 |Mar record high C = 32.9 |Apr record high C = 34.4 |May record high C = 39.2 |Jun record high C = 41.5 |Jul record high C = 43.0 |Aug record high C = 42.9 |Sep record high C = 40.9 |Oct record high C = 35.1 |Nov record high C = 35.2 |Dec record high C = 26.5 |year record high C = |Jan high C = 14.0 |Feb high C = 15.8 |Mar high C = 19.5 |Apr high C = 23.5 |May high C = 28.5 |Jun high C = 34.1 |Jul high C = 38.3 |Aug high C = 37.0 |Sep high C = 31.6 |Oct high C = 25.6 |Nov high C = 18.6 |Dec high C = 14.8 |year high C = |Jan mean C = 7.4 |Feb mean C = 9.2 |Mar mean C = 12.8 |Apr mean C = 16.5 |May mean C = 21.2 |Jun mean C = 26.3 |Jul mean C = 30.2 |Aug mean C = 29.1 |Sep mean C = 24.2 |Oct mean C = 18.5 |Nov mean C = 12.1 |Dec mean C = 8.5 |year mean C = |Jan low C = 0.8 |Feb low C = 2.5 |Mar low C = 6.0 |Apr low C = 9.4 |May low C = 13.8 |Jun low C = 18.5 |Jul low C = 22.0 |Aug low C = 21.2 |Sep low C = 16.8 |Oct low C = 11.5 |Nov low C = 5.7 |Dec low C = 2.3 |year low C = |Jan record low C = -8.8 |Feb record low C = -8.6 |Mar record low C = -4.6 |Apr record low C = -0.2 |May record low C = 2.2 |Jun record low C = 7.9 |Jul record low C = 11.3 |Aug record low C = 13.0 |Sep record low C = 6.7 |Oct record low C = 1.0 |Nov record low C = -5.1 |Dec record low C = -10.2 |year record low C = -10.2 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 14.8 |Feb precipitation mm = 11.2 |Mar precipitation mm = 23.0 |Apr precipitation mm = 15.8 |May precipitation mm = 13.6 |Jun precipitation mm = 7.5 |Jul precipitation mm = 4.3 |Aug precipitation mm = 15.2 |Sep precipitation mm = 21.8 |Oct precipitation mm = 32.7 |Nov precipitation mm = 21.7 |Dec precipitation mm = 9.7 |year precipitation mm = |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 2.8 |Feb precipitation days = 2.4 |Mar precipitation days = 3.1 |Apr precipitation days = 2.5 |May precipitation days = 2.1 |Jun precipitation days = 1.4 |Jul precipitation days = 1.1 |Aug precipitation days = 2.9 |Sep precipitation days = 3.7 |Oct precipitation days = 3.2 |Nov precipitation days = 2.9 |Dec precipitation days = 2.3 |year precipitation days = 30.4 |time day = 7:00 |Jan humidity = 79 |Feb humidity = 76 |Mar humidity = 68 |Apr humidity = 58 |May humidity = 59 |Jun humidity = 46 |Jul humidity = 39 |Aug humidity = 46 |Sep humidity = 51 |Oct humidity = 68 |Nov humidity = 77 |Dec humidity = 78 |year humidity = 62 |Jan sun = 223.2 |Feb sun = 240.1 |Mar sun = 279.0 |Apr sun = 282.0 |May sun = 328.6 |Jun sun = 354.0 |Jul sun = 362.7 |Aug sun = 344.1 |Sep sun = 309.0 |Oct sun = 254.2 |Nov sun = 195.0 |Dec sun = 201.5 |year sun = |Jand sun = 7.2 |Febd sun = 8.5 |Mard sun = 9.0 |Aprd sun = 9.4 |Mayd sun = 10.6 |Jund sun = 11.8 |Juld sun = 11.7 |Augd sun = 11.1 |Sepd sun = 10.3 |Octd sun = 8.2 |Novd sun = 6.5 |Decd sun = 6.5 |yeard sun = 9.2 |source 1 = NOAA(extremes 1991-2020) |source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun 1952-1957, humidity and extremes for 1913-1938) Klimatafel von Ain Sefra / Algerien, Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world, Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 22 October 2016
Demographics
| align = none | source = Populstatpopulstat.info, | 1936 |2400 | 1954 |20100 | 1966 |16800 | 1987 |23800 | 1998 |33600
Culture
Traditional wedding custom
Traditionally wedding parties took place over 7 days. Nowadays, weddings last a maximum of 3 days.
For the first lunch, the relatives are invited for a meal with "merga" (dish in sauce). Subsequently, a couscous is served to the guests for the following meals.
Throughout the wedding, the bride would not leave her new home. Once the marriage ceremony was over, she would take her bucket, go out to fill it at the source and bring it home. Meanwhile, the groom would buy fruit and vegetables at the market without bags or baskets. He would then carry them in his burnous and give them to the bride, who would then give them to the cooks.
References
References
- Sharman, Jon (21 December 2016) [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/sahara-desert-snow-first-40-years-rare-photos-atlas-mountains-algeria-karim-bouchetata-a7488056.html First Sahara desert snow in 40 years captured in photographs], ''[[The Independent]]''. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
- [https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/sahara-desert-snowfall-climate-change-photos-red-sand-dunes-358889-2016-12-21 "Spectacular photos show Sahara desert after getting its first snowfall in 37 years"], ''India Today'', December 21, 2016
- "Snow falls on Sahara desert for first time in 40 years". India Today.
- "This is snow joke! Sahara desert sees huge snowfall".
- "WMO Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Ain Sefra-60560". [[NOAA.
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