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Constantine
Constantine , ancient Cirta, city (1998 pop. 462,187), capital of Constantine dept., NE Algeria, on the gorge of the Rhumel River. A major inland city, it is the railhead of a prosperous and diverse agricultural area. Constantine is also a center of the grain trade and has flour mills, a tractor factory, and industries producing textiles and leather goods. Products made by local artisans are economically important. Founded by Carthaginians (who called it Sarim Batim), Constantine became the capital and commercial center of Numidia and was named Cirta [the city]. Under Roman rule it was a major grain-shipping point and one of the wealthiest cities of Africa. Destroyed (AD 311) during the war preceding the accession of Constantine I, it was rebuilt by Constantine himself and renamed in his honor. The city was pillaged by the Vandals in the 5th cent. and later became an object of contention among various Muslim dynasties. The Turks captured it in the 16th cent. and made it a provincial capital. By the time of the French conquest in 1837 the district governor of Constantine had become virtually independent of the Ottoman Empire. Modern Constantine is the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop, a university, and a Muslim school of higher education. |
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"Constantine." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Constantine." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ConstntAlg.html "Constantine." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ConstntAlg.html |
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Constantine
CONSTANTINE
Constantine is located about 330 miles (530 km) east of the capital, Algiers, near the coast, with a population of 909,700 (2002). While known as a trading center, Constantine is best known for its association with the so-called Constantine plan, an attempt announced by the French in 1958 to tie Algeria economically to the métropole (the French nation) through a number of rural and industrial development plans. After independence in 1964, Constantine became an important educational center with the country's only Islamic university. Dirk Vandewalle |
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Vandewalle, Dirk. "Constantine." Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Vandewalle, Dirk. "Constantine." Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3424600717.html Vandewalle, Dirk. "Constantine." Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3424600717.html |
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Constantine
Constantine, Algeria, USA Sarim Batim, Cirta/Kirtha, Colonia Cirta Julia/Cirta Sittianorum, Qusantinah/Qasentina (Algeria) Algeria: named after Constantine I the Great† who rebuilt it in 313 and made it the capital of Numidia. Its original name was Carthaginian, while Cirta, adopted in the 2nd century bc, came from the Phoenician qart ‘town’. The Arabs took control in the 7th century. The Arabic name is Blad al‐Hawa. Qasentina has also been in use since 1981.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Constantine." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Constantine." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Constantine.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Constantine." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Constantine.html |
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