The New International Encyclopædia/Biskra

BISKRA, or BISKARA, bēs′kȧ-rä (named after the tribe Biskri). A town and commune in the Department of Constantine, Algeria, on the south side of the Aures Mountains, 117 miles southwest of Constantine by rail. It is the most important military post of the district, and formerly had a large caravan trade between the Sahara and the Tell (Map: Africa, E 1). Biskra is situated in the midst of a highly fertile oasis, rich in date-palms and olives. The climate is the warmest in Algeria, the summer temperature rising often above 120° F.; in winter, however, the freezing-point is not infrequently reached. The town has broad streets, with substantial houses, a fort, barracks, caravanserai, and hospital. Burnous and carpets are manufactured, and iron, limestone, and saltpeter are mined in the neighborhood. The Zaba of the Romans, it was an important town under the Moors, but declined after the plague of 1863, by which 71,000 inhabitants perished. In 1844 it was taken by the French, with whom it has become a favorite health resort. Population (commune), in 1891, 7166; in 1890, 8417.