Arzew or Arzeu ( ar, أرزيو Berber; ) is a port city in Algeria, 25 miles (40 km) from

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

. It is the capital of Arzew District, Oran Province.

History

Antiquity

Like the rest of North Africa, the site of modern-day Arzew was originally inhabited by the

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

s. Arzew's original Berber population came mainly from the nearby town of Bethioua, families from nearby Mostaganem, Kabyles that were deported there. It was named ''Arsenaria'', or '' Portus Magnus'' (Great Harbour) under the Roman Empire (the latter name is the one that can be seen in its former coat of arms). It has several Roman remains, mosaics, and artworks, which were removed to the museum of nearby

. During Roman times, Arzew's exports used to be

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

and salt. The Vandals destroyed ''Portus Magnus'' in 429/430. Since the Muslim conquests, it regained some importance, as it was noted by the geographer ''El Bekri'', during his description of North Africa (1068) where he described the Roman ruins as ''Arzao'', an abandoned Roman port. The Almohads refounded the port in 1162. Under the Ziyanids, the port, located near the Ziyanid Tlemcen was renamed to Marsa Ben Zian (i.e. ''the port of the Zian tribe'').

French Algeria

On 10 July 1833, the French forces coming from Oran went further east and occupied the locality, which was then simply called ''Marsa'' (i.e. ''port''). After years of war (ended by the Treaty of Desmichels) Arzew became a legal possession of France, with its name transliterated in Arabic as ''Arziou'' (Arziw) and in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

as ''Arzowe''. King Louis-Philippe ordered the creation of the settlement of ''Arzew Le Port'' on 12 August 1845, which encouraged people from Europe to settle the area. It became a fully functional commune on 31 December 1856. It was an important war site during World War II (see

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...

). During the Algerian War the city hosted one of the two SDECE French intelligence service CIPCGs ("counter-guerrilla and pacification instruction centre").Frédéric Guelton: The French Army 'Centre for Training and Preparation in Counter-Guerrilla Warfare' (CIPCG) at Arzew, Journal of Strategic Studies, vol. 22:2 (2002), pp.35-55.

Algerian republic

After the independence of Algeria in 1962, Arzew became an important port and industrial area, home to a refinery exporting LNG (liquified natural gas), as well as a fleet of small fishing boats to work the local waters.

Demography

Culture

During the French colonial era, the settlers introduced a Roman Catholic celebration on August 15 - Assumption of Mary day- known as the " Procession of the Virgin" (''la Procession de la Vierge'').

Notes

References

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External links

111th Observation Squadron World War II Narrative History, Part VI: The Battle Of Arzew
- John C.L. Scribner
Map of 1932
{{Authority control Communes of Oran Province Berber words and phrases