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BLIDA , a See also: town of See also: Algeria, in the department of, Algiers, 32 M. by railway S.W. from Algiers, on the See also: line to See also: Oran
.
Pop
.
(1906) 16,866
.
It lies surrounded with orchards and gardens, 63o ft. above the See also: sea, at the See also: base of the Little See also: Atlas, on the See also: southern edge of the fertile plain of the Metija, and the right See also: bank of the See also: Wad-el-Kebir affluent of the Chiffa
..
The abundant See also: water of this stream provides power for large corn
mills and several factories, and also supplies the town, with its numerous fountains and irrigated gardens
.
Blida is surrounded by a See also: wall of considerable extent, pierced by six See also: gates, and is further defended by Fort Mimieh, crowning a steep See also: hill on the
See also: left bank of the See also: river
.
The See also: present town, French in character, has well-built See also: modern streets with many arcades, and numbers among its buildings several mosques and churches, extensive barracks and a large military hospital
.
The See also: principal square, the place d'Armes, is surrounded by arcaded houses and shaded by trees
.
The centre of a fertile See also: district, and a See also: post on one of the See also: main routes in the country, Blida has a flourishing See also: trade, chiefly in oranges and See also: flour
.
The orange groves contain over 5o,000 trees, and in See also: April the air for See also: miles round is laden with the See also: scent of the orange blossoms
.
In the public gardens is a See also: group of magnificent See also: olive trees
.
The products of the neighbouring See also: cork trees and See also: cedar groves are a source of revenue to the town
.
In the vicinity are the villages of J,oinville and Montpensier, which owe their origin to military camps established by Marshal Valee in 1838; and on the road toSee also: Medea are the tombs of the marabout Mahommed-el-Kebir, who died in 158o, and his two sons
.
Blida, i.e. boleida, diminutive of the Arab word belad, city, occupies the site of a military station in the See also: time of the See also: Romans, but the present town appears to date from the 16th century
.
A mosque was built by See also: order of Khair-ed-din See also: Barbarossa, and under the See also: Turks the town was of some importance
.
In 1825 it was nearly destroyed by an See also: earthquake, but was speedily rebuilt on a site about a mile distant from the ruins
.
It was not till 1838 that it was finally held by the French, though they had been in possession for a See also: short time eight years before
.
In April 1go6 it was chosen as the place of detention of Behanzin, the ex-See also: king of
See also: Dahomey, who died in See also: December of that See also: year
.
Blida is the chief town of a commune of the same name, having ('co6) a population of 33,332
.
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