Khenchela
title: "Khenchela" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chaoui-people", "communes-of-khenchela-province", "cities-in-algeria", "province-seats-of-algeria", "khenchela-province"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khenchela" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Khenchela |
| official_name | City of Khenchela |
| native_name | {{unbulleted list |
| {{native name | ber |
| type | City |
| image_skyline | Khenchela.jpg |
| image_caption | View of the city |
| image_map | DZ-40 Khenchela.svg |
| map_caption | Location of Khenchela within Khenchela Province |
| pushpin_map | Algeria |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of Khenchela within Algeria |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Algeria |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Khenchela |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| subdivision_name2 | Khenchela |
| established_title | |
| seat_type | District seat |
| leader_title | PMA Seats |
| leader_name | 33 |
| leader_title1 | |
| leader_title2 | |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| elevation_m | 1200 |
| population_total | 114472 |
| population_as_of | 2008 census |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| timezone1 | CET |
| utc_offset1 | +01 |
| postal_code_type | Postal code |
| postal_code | 40000 |
| area_code_type | |
| area_code | |
| blank_name | ONS code |
| blank_info | 4001 |
| blank1_name | Climate |
| blank1_info | Csb |
| website | |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] the Algerian city ::
| name = Khenchela | official_name = City of Khenchela | native_name = {{unbulleted list |ar |ber}} | type = City | image_skyline = Khenchela.jpg | image_alt = | image_caption = View of the city | image_shield = | nickname = | image_map = DZ-40 Khenchela.svg | mapsize = | map_caption = Location of Khenchela within Khenchela Province | pushpin_map = Algeria | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Khenchela within Algeria | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Algeria | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Khenchela | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Khenchela | established_title = | established_date = | seat_type = District seat | seat = | government_footnotes = | leader_title = PMA Seats | leader_name = 33 | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 1200 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 114472 | population_as_of = 2008 census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | timezone1 = CET | utc_offset1 = +01 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 40000 | area_code_type = | area_code = | blank_name = ONS code | blank_info = 4001 | blank1_name = Climate | blank1_info = Csb | website = | footnotes =
Khenchela (; ; anciently Mascula) is the capital city of the administrative Khenchela Province (Wilaya), in the north east of Algeria. Situated in the Aures Mountains, 1200 m above sea level. The city is mainly populated by Berber Chaouis.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Statue_of_Dyhia_in_Khenchela_(Algeria).jpg" caption="Statue of Queen Kahina in [[Baghai]], Khenchela province"] ::
Kahina led a decades long war against the Islamic conquest in the 7th century and built a castle here. During the Barbary period there were many inter-town conflicts over water resources.
The French army reached Khenchela in 1850 after heavy fighting and strenuous resistance and set up a military administration. Organization of work on the city was undertaken. The first French settlers were allowed from 1878. Farms and plantations were built. In the process, farmers cleared a path for vegetation at the valley of Wadi Boughegal which in turn gave birth to natural grasslands, allowing cattle breeding and feeding the population with fresh dairy products.
In October 1905, the inauguration of the meter-gauge railway line from Aïn Beïda to Khenchela provided daily service with the north of the country. Military administration lasted until 1912.
In 1982, a mass grave containing more than 1200 corpses from the war of Algeria was discovered. It would be the largest ever discovered in Algeria. The authorities and the Algerian press attributed it to the French army, while others disputed this and suggested the victims may have been French harkis.
Geography
Climate
Located in the Aurès Mountains (part of the Atlas Mountains), at 1,200 m above sea level, Khenchela has warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb), with an average annual precipitation of 446 mm. Summers are warm and dry and winters are chilly and wetter, with the possibility of snowfall.
This is one of the coldest cities in Algeria. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Khenchela-2.jpg" caption="Khenchela in winter"] ::
|width=auto |location = Khenchela |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan high C = 9.0 |Feb high C = 10.6 |Mar high C = 13.9 |Apr high C = 17.6 |May high C = 21.2 |Jun high C = 26.6 |Jul high C = 30.1 |Aug high C = 29.4 |Sep high C = 25.7 |Oct high C = 19.7 |Nov high C = 14.5 |Dec high C = 10.2 |Jan low C = -0.5 |Feb low C = 0.4 |Mar low C = 2.0 |Apr low C = 4.1 |May low C = 7.0 |Jun low C = 11.1 |Jul low C = 13.1 |Aug low C = 13.1 |Sep low C = 11.7 |Oct low C = 7.8 |Nov low C = 4.1 |Dec low C = 0.7 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 43 |Feb precipitation mm = 44 |Mar precipitation mm = 63 |Apr precipitation mm = 40 |May precipitation mm = 49 |Jun precipitation mm = 25 |Jul precipitation mm = 12 |Aug precipitation mm = 17 |Sep precipitation mm = 32 |Oct precipitation mm = 37 |Nov precipitation mm = 46 |Dec precipitation mm = 38 |source 1 = Climate-data.org{{cite web |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/3702/ |title=Climate: Khenchela |access-date=2 September 2013}} |date=September 2013}}
Demographics
Since the 20th century, Khenchela's population has grown particularly fast: 12 000 inhabitants in 1954, 28,000 in 1962, 70,000 in 1987 and 87,196 in 2002. This increase is partly explained by population displacement during the war in Algeria, the area being a refuge for resistance fighters. This has posed and continues to pose planning problems (housing, water, sewer, electricity).
Sports
USM Khenchela is the most well-known sports club from the city. It currently plays in the Ligue 1, the first tier of the Algerian football pyramid, and hosts its games in Amar Hamam Stadium.
Education
References
References
- (24 February 2024). "Tixencelt: tqelleɛ teẓrigt tis 5 n Tmesrit taɣelnawt n usewlef". aps.dz (Algeria Press Service).
- [http://guy.perville.free.fr/spip/article.php3?id_article=234 A propos de l’énigme de Khenchela (1982-....) (2009) [archive], Guy Pervillé, guy.perville.free.fr, 2 février 2009].
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