# Relizane

Relizane or Ghilizan (Arabic: غلیزان; is a city in Algeria. It is the capital city of Relizane Province.

## Toponymy

The name of Relizane comes from the Berber ⵉⵖⵉⵍ ⵉⵣⵣⴰⵏ (Iɣil Izzan) which means “burnt / grilled hill”. The Turks built a bordj there, hence the name Bordj Ighil Izan, to control the road to Oran. The population is mainly from the Flittas and Beni-Ouragh of Ouarsenis.

## Geography
### Topography

The topography within 2 miles of Relizane is only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 210 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 230 feet. Within 16 kilometers, slight variations in altitude only (533 meters). Within 80 kilometers, very significant variations in altitude (1,268 meters).
The region within a 3 kilometer radius of Relizane is covered by cultivated land (47%), artificial surfaces (31%) and sparse vegetation (11%), within a 16 kilometer radius by cultivated land (53 %) and sparse vegetation (31%) and within a radius of 80 kilometers by cultivated land (47%) and sparse vegetation (17%).

### Climate

n Relizane, the summers are short, sweltering, arid, and mostly clear and the winters are long, cool, windy, and partly cloudy. During the year, the temperature generally ranges from 7°C to 38°C and is rarely below 3°C or above 42°C.

## History
### Antiquity

The history of the region dates back to the time of the Kingdom of Numidia which was between 203 and 213 BC. The region takes its name from a stream called Mina. The region of Mina knows under the Roman domination which lasted nearly five centuries, its apogee in the agricultural and commercial development because of the fertility of its grounds and the richness of its soil. Relizane is founded on the location of the ancient Roman Castellum de Mina.

#### Vandals

In the year 430 AD, the Vandals occupied North Africa and destroyed many cities. At that time, the city of Mina represented the region in the Carthage Ecclesiastical Council for 484 AD and 525 AD.

### Arab conquest

Islam made its appearance in the western region in 681, in 719-720 the Arab warriors led by Moussa Ibn Noçaïr settled in the city.

### French colonization

In the nineteenth century, agriculture was very often threatened by frequent droughts. It was not in 1852 that French troops occupied Relizane, a colonial settlement centre was created by imperial decree on 27 February 1857 that wasd was elevated to the rank of a full-service commune on 5 February 1871.
In 1844, the French engineers repaired the old dam; the old hydraulic works were partially restored in the 18th century). In 1853, the first Europeans settled in the plain and cultivated small areas of wheat and barley plus a few areas of tobacco that were quickly abandoned since malaria killed so many people although the creation of Relizane was not decided until January 1857. Since then, certain houses built after the Algiers-Oran railway have given it a new face. In the meantime, the European population was increasing.
The French come from the country's south (Gard) and the Spaniards from Valencia, Alicante, Murcia and Almería. About 20 farms cultivated cotton. The city then experienced a prodigious development, but disease, drought abd insufficient harvests slowed down any progress. Also the natural disaster that preceded the imperial voyage was the main reason for the incident on 6 May 1865. In the south of Oran the revolt of the Ouled Sidi Cheikh broke out because of the discontent of the population since [[1860]. The disillusion and the unkept promises by the French were at the origin of one of the biggest insurrections, which lasted until 1896.
A labor camp is used to imprison Spanish Republican refugees at the end of the Spanish Civil War ([La Retirada]]).
The population of Relizane took part in the national liberation struggle and made the city part of the contemporary history of Algeria against French colonization.

### Contemporary era
## Demographics

| 1975 | 1987 | 1990 | 2000 | 1998 | 2008 | 2015 |
| 48094 | 83 864 | 96109 | 119855 | 111 186 | 130 094 | 147720 |

## The landmarks of the city

| The ancient bridge | أطلال جسر روماني .....بالمدخل الغربي لمدينة غليزان |
| Mina archaeological site | |
| Al Noor Mosque | Ville de Relizane |
| Al jamaa Al kabeer | جامع الكبير ذو طابع معماري عربي أندلسي |

## Events and festivals

* International Documentary Film Festival Sidi M'hamed Benaouda

## Personalities linked to the city

* Abdellah Hezil
* Ahmed Francis
* Alain Bensoussan
* Alain Bentolila
* Dominique Cabrera
* Ali Boumendjel
* Mustapha Laliam
* Mohammed Abbou
* Colonel Amirouche
* M"hamed Issiakhem
* Chikha Rabiaa
* Cheb Moumen
* Chaba Zohra Relizania
* Sami relizani
* Hadj Belkhir
* Douba Fatiha
* Belakhdar Touffik