Ouargla
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Ouargla وَارْڨْرن / ورقلة ورجلان |
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| City | |
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 Location of Ouargla commune within Ouargla Province |
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 Ouargla
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| Coordinates: 31°57′N 5°19′E / 31.950°N 5.317°ECoordinates: 31°57′N 5°19′E / 31.950°N 5.317°E | |
| Country |
 Algeria
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| Province | Ouargla Province |
| District | Ouargla District |
| Elevation | 219 m (719 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • City | 133,024 |
| • Urban | 191,136 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| Postal code | 30000 |
Ouargla (Berber: Wargren or Wargla, Arabic: ورجلان، ورقلة, old Berber name: Wareglan) is the capital city of Ouargla Province in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing petroleum industry and hosts one of Algeria's universities, the University of Ouargla. The commune of Ouargla had a population of 133,024 in the 2008 census, up from 112,339 in 1998, and an annual population growth rate of 1.7%. However, including the commune of Rouissat, found in Ouargla's urban area, gives a total population of 191,136.
According to Ibn Khaldun the town was founded by Banu Wargla who, accompanied by sections of the Maghrawa and Banu Ifran, left the Tlemcen region and founded Ouargla. These Berbers of Ouarghla then embraced Ibadi doctrines, which later made the town an attractive refuge for the citizens of Tahert.
In 11th century, Banu Hilal, an Arab tribe living between Nile and Red Sea, settled in Tunisia, Tripolitania (western Libya) and Constantinois (eastern Algeria) which was Ouargla party.
The city was a significant tourist attraction until the civil unrest during the 1990s. Many tourists chose to shop for sand roses at souk l'ehjar, the old rock market. The souq, or market, had many traditional shops filled with antiquities, traditional crafts, and local items - from dresses to stuffed lizards. The area across from these shops was used to display sand roses, mineral specimens, of all sizes and shapes. The market has gone through a renovation process. However many criticized this renovation, feeling it destroyed the historical character of souk l'ehjar and the area.
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Wikipedia