The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-07-11
N NORTHERN AFRICA.
., The IllustriOus Contemporary of
.,ada Across the Straits in Spain.


ada Across the Straits in spain.
..iql correspondence of The Journal
r.rv, EN-. Africa, June l, 1901. En-
oo this historic town by the Bou-
'.I;na cate, you pass at once into the
~. avenue of the Mechouar, or cita-
under a triple row of poplars,
,,.ss aud acacias, whose leafy shadow
dense that no ray of the fierce
,4naD sun can pierce it, even on a
- .ymmer noon. After this beautiful
+ro5nttion-your mind teeming with
sections of Tlemcen's stormy and
..rrlc history-how much greater is
MI appointment to find the city of
Han 81 shabby and unattractive, its
.ra.r wealthy population of half a
.rid dwlndled to poverty-stricken
-m1uitv of seventeen thousand,
o.-r -he Moorish cities in Spain were
..-.. lruth of their splendor, this con-
.ana.a.y of Grenada was equally re-
.onu for its artists and scholars,
81. ail philosophers, its civilization
.r .-alement, commerce and wealth
.-aptal Of powerful nation and
as.er.trt Of worldwide trade. Long,
- .11re that golden day-centuries
hrist was born-it was a power
--. known as Pomeria. Ruined
-rur the \ andal invasion and subSe-
.er lorgotten, it was rebuilt A. ID.
.l, ldris ben Idris ben Abd-Allah, an
mpi,ing Arab who bought it from
Esher nation of the Zenata and
.-.>,ed his brother in possession.
T. mmpd it Aghadir, and erected the
mad uosque whose remains are to-day
8u-t Impressive monument. The
r-utl> and their descendants held it a
Mlt and fifty years; when it passed
Mo- Tire uinds of various tribes of the
t.-r and finally to the then all-power-
d Auloravides about the year 1880.
I'd aeV masters renamed it Tagrart,
nd ttrtilied it strongly and increased
commerce. Then for a long period
s-t3rt figures in history as a royal
t a city of soldiers" among whom
as q guard of several thousand Chris
sls The AlmoravideS (meaning af-
uts Of the unity OF God, We're in
,,tl religious, and wise withal in
,r day and generation, giving equal
'rl'on to all foreigners, Jews and
r>timS. At one time there were
HY Thousands of Christians in the
lace Who had a church of their own
I'D practically their own government.
present barrack of the Spahis was
1t INelgn bazaar of that day. within
,dse nigh walls Spanish, French, Gen
sf fjsan and Venetian merchants dis
ayrd their wares, under the exclusive
seument of the consuls-the only
njatlon being that it's gates should be
used at sunset.
Tire greatness of Tagrart, so well be
l 9g the Almoravides, eliminated
dr their successors, the better known
rauSe later Almoahides, who came
Il possession in 1143, changed its name
lrmeen, and built a new wall i'll
i- circles around the several older
Dl, Then for hundred years it re-
a-d one of the chief cities of the
e3' Nohammedan empire of the west;
81 Early IN the thirteenth century,
5hamarasan, of the tribe of ADD
Cd" conquered it; and presently be
.. - capital of the kingdom, which
rtd The prominent provinces of
a md Algiers. Then followed
mtL period of long sieges, slow
4-ou and cruelties innumerable.
paHiug even the dark pages of Afri-
-slory. The first siege, begun be-
>r the sultan of Tlemcen refused
give up fugitives to the massacre,
81" Yearly nine years, and was raised
utter the murder of Abou-Y akoub,
ta If Fee. His successor, the terri
i ack Sultan" - A bou-el HasSan
turned Unexpectedly to the fray
',o captured the city, but lost it
l after ten years of horrible mis-
IT. The walls built around the camps
,ur enemy during those memorable
ses may still be traced. In 1868 ITEM
as captured by the Turks under
"a Rails, Pacha of Algiers. So COM
-It MAS its fall that again was the
ap proverb verified: "Where the hoof
.t Turkish horse had trod the grass
uSts to grow Science, literature
d art, long decaying, became sudden
extinct. Agriculture declined; COM
'ee and manufacture died natural
'th and even piracy-the only Gin
SHY that then flourished in northern
flca, was out of the question at this
lance from the sea. From 1880 to SO,
session of the town was disputed
tween the Emperor of Morocco and
turkish troops-the latter being in
pay of France and occupying the cit
+. This completed its architectural
d. with foreign soldiers quartered in
Nechouar, and the whole army of
hmlr clamoring at the gates. Final
Iiemcen was coded to ADD l-Kader
The treaty of Tafua; and in 1912 the