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El Kala (, ) is a seaport of
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
, in
El Tarf Province El Taref () is a provinces of Algeria, province (''wilaya'') of Algeriawith a population of 481136 inhabitants in 2019 El Kala is a port town in this province. El Taref is the capital city. El Kala, a port town in this province, is home to El Kal ...
, 56 miles (90 km) by rail east of
Annaba Annaba (), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River and is in the Annaba Province. With a population of about 263,65 ...
and 10 miles (16 km) west of the
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
n frontier. It is the centre of the Algerian and Tunisian
coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...
fisheries and has an extensive industry in the curing of
sardine Sardine and pilchard are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring suborder Clupeoidei. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century; a somewhat dubious etymology says it com ...
s. The harbor is small and exposed to the northeast and west winds. El Kala attracts tourists from within and outside the country, especially during the summer. It is home to an exceptional ecosystem and was declared a
biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in 1990.


History

Thinisa in Numidia was an ancient city in the
Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...
of
Numidia Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...
. It was important enough to become a
bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
. The old fortified town was built on a rocky
peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
about 400 metres long, connected with the mainland by a sand bank. La Calle from the times of its earliest records in the 10th century was the residence of coral merchants. After the
Umayyad conquest of North Africa The conquest of the Maghreb by the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates commenced in 647 and concluded in 709, when the Byzantine Empire lost its last remaining strongholds to Caliph Al-Walid I. The North African campaigns were part of the century of ...
in the late 6th century and early 7th century, the city became part of the
Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...
, and later the
Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
.
Al-Idrisi Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani as-Sabti, or simply al-Idrisi (; ; 1100–1165), was an Arab Muslim geographer and cartographer who served in the court of King Roger II at Palermo, Sicily. Muhammad al-Idrisi was born in C ...
described the city in the 12th century:نزهة المشتاق في اختراق الآفاق - الإقليم الثالث، الجزء الثاني
Muhammad al-Idrisi Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani as-Sabti, or simply al-Idrisi (; ; 1100–1165), was an Arab Muslim geographer and cartographer who served in the court of King Roger II at Palermo, Sicily. Muhammad al-Idrisi was born in C ...
"To the north of Beja, along the edge of the salty sea, lies the city of Marsa al-Kharz, and between them is a big marhala -day journey It is a small city surrounded by a strong fortress wall, with a
kasbah A kasbah (, also ; , , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasbah, qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term in Spanish (), which is derived from the same ...
and many Arabs living around it. The people of the city are involved in coral fishing due to its abundance there, which is considered superior to all the coral found in other regions, such as
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
,
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
, and others. .Traders from all over the lands come to this city, and much of the coral is exported to various regions. The coral mines of this city are worked every year, and fifty (less or more) boats are made at all times, with about twenty men working on each boat. The coral grows like trees at the bottom of the sea and then hardens. It is caught using tools with many strings made of
hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...
, which are operated from the tops of the boats. The strings wind around the coral plants, and the men pull them up, extracting large amounts, which are sold for great sums of money. The livelihood of the people is based on this trade. The inhabitants drink from wells, as the land around the city has little cultivation. Their food is brought from the surrounding desert regions of the Arabs, and occasionally fruits are brought from
Bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...
and other places."
French and Italian coral fishing companies were interested in the area from as early as 1553. A trade bastion called "
Bastion de France The Bastion de France was a trading post founded in the sixteenth century by French merchants of Corsican origin who had established themselves in North Africa near Annaba. It developed important commercial links with Marseille, especially in the ...
" by its Corsican founders was established during that period principally for the exploitation of
red coral Precious coral, or red coral, is the common name given to a genus of marine corals, ''Corallium''. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored red or pink-orange skeleton, which is used for maki ...
and also to facilitate trade between southern France and that part of northern Algeria. The bastion was shut down and returned to the rule of the
Bey Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of variously sized areas in ...
of
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...
in 1816. It was called Marsa Al-Kharaz for centuries before being named La Calle by the French in the 16th century. In 1677 the French moved their headquarters to La Calle. The company—Compagnie d'Afrique—which owned the concession for the fishery was suppressed in 1798 on the outbreak of war between France and Algeria. In 1806 the British
consul-general A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...
at
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
obtained the right to occupy Bona (
Annaba Annaba (), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River and is in the Annaba Province. With a population of about 263,65 ...
) and La Calle for an annual rent of £11,000; but though the money was paid for several years no practical effect was given to the agreement. The French regained possession in 1817, were expelled during the wars of 1827, when La Calle was burnt, but returned and a new town was built up along the coast in 1836. The boats engaged in the fishery were mainly Italian, but the imposition, during the last quarter of the 19th century, of heavy taxes on all except French boats drove the foreign vessels away. For some years the industry was abandoned, but was restarted on a small scale in 1903.


Titular see of Thinisa in Numidia

In 1933, the Ancient diocese of Thinisa in Numidia was nominally restored as a Catholic
titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...
of the lowest (episcopal) rank. It has had the following incumbents: * Francesco Venanzio Filippini,
Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the t ...
(O.F.M.) (1933.05.23 – 1973.03.31) *
Mario Revollo Bravo Mario Revollo Bravo (19 September 1919 - 3 November 1995) was a Colombian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bogotá, archbishop of Bogotá from 1984 to 1994. He was made a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal in 19 ...
(1973.11.13 – 1978.02.28) (later Cardinal) *
Javier Lozano Barragán Javier Lozano Barragán (; 26 January 1933 – 20 April 2022) was a Mexican prelate of the Catholic Church who was president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers from 1997 to 2009. He was made a cardinal in 200 ...
(1979.06.05 – 1984.10.28) (later Cardinal) * Mario Picchi,
Salesians The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in 1859 by the Italian priest John Bosco to help poor and migrant youth during the ...
(S.D.B.) (1989.06.19 – 1997.03.29) * Vincenzo Pelvi (1999.12.11 – 2006.10.14) (later Archbishop of Foggia–Bovino) * Laurent Chu Văn Minh,
Auxiliary Bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...
of
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
(Vietnam) (2008.10.15 – ''present'')


See also

*
European enclaves in North Africa before 1830 The European enclaves in North Africa (technically 'Enclave and exclave#Related constructs and terms, semi-enclaves') were towns, fortifications and trading posts on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of western North Africa (sometimes called a ...
*
Lake Mellah Lake Mellah is a saltwater lake situated within the boundaries of El Kala National Park in El Taref Province, Algeria. It was designated a vital site in accordance with the Ramsar Convention on September 12, 2004. Overview Lake Mellah is a sa ...


References


Sources

*


External links


GigaCatholic, with titular incumbent biographical links
Mediterranean port cities and towns in Algeria Communes of El Taref Province El Taref Province {{ElTaref-geo-stub