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73-523: Laghouat traces its history to at least the 11th century. It was ruled by the Ottoman Turks in 1786 and annexed to Beylik of Titteri (Médéa). The town experienced the brutal Siege of Laghouat in 1852, and came under French colonial rule until 1962. It was formerly the administrative center of one of the four "Territories of the South" forming the region of Algeria administered under Martial Law until

146-966: A "deep significance" that is not always understandable to modern scholars. In many instances, the creation of rock art was itself a ritual act. In the Upper Palaeolithic of Europe, rock art was produced inside cave systems by the hunter-gatherer peoples who inhabited the continent. The oldest known example is the Chauvet Cave in France, although others have been located, including Lascaux in France, Alta Mira in Spain and Creswell Crags in Britain and Grotta del Genovese in Sicily . The late prehistoric rock art of Europe has been divided into three regions by archaeologists. In Atlantic Europe ,

219-675: A "rebel city". In the 14th century, Ibn Khaldoun reported the existence of a walled town which housed a faction of the "laghouat" tribe (called laghouat-ksel  ), a branch of the Berber tribe of the Maghraouas . Over time, the majority of these peoples migrated westward, leaving only two factions in the city: the Berber-descended Sargins and the Ahlaf ("alliance") clans of Arabs. Various nomadic peoples also populated

292-429: A composition analysis, which most of these figurines are made of steatite but there are still made of other materials. As a result from these archaeological studies, these figures provided context about spheres of interaction between tribal groups, demonstrate economical significance, and possibly hold a ritual function as well. Under one study by archaeologists Richard T Fitzgerald and Christopher Corey, they dated

365-522: A gateway for a land route to Sub-Saharan Africa , furthering their colonial ambitions. During World War II, the Laghouat prison camp held British and Commonwealth servicemen, under the authority of Vichy France. The camp also held a large number of Jews who were described by the French authorities as Communists. Following the war, captured German soldiers were held at the camp. In January 2012, Laghouat

438-480: A group of Muslims who conquered the Maghreb and Spain in the 11th century. They built many cities in the Maghreb, including Laghouat. The people of Laghouat are Muslims, and they speak Arabic and Berber. They are known for their hospitality and their sense of hospitality. Laghouat is a beautiful and important city, and it is a great place to visit if you are interested in learning more about the history and culture of

511-474: A local museum of crafts, traditional clothes and jewelry that will serve history and the balance of developments and social changes and the formation of a civilizational balance that can be taken as a reference to be used in studies and inspired by new creations. The province has sought to develop tourism with new 4-star hotels, though the existing hotels in Laghouat do not exceed the 3-star rating. The region

584-401: A rock relief or rock-cut relief is a relief sculpture carved on solid or "living rock" such as a cliff, rather than a detached piece of stone. They are a category of rock art, and sometimes found in conjunction with rock-cut architecture . However, they tend to be omitted in most works on rock art, which concentrate on engravings and paintings by prehistoric peoples. A few such works exploit

657-656: A significant component of their cultural heritage. It also serves as an important source of cultural tourism, and hence as economic revenue in certain parts of the world. As such, images taken from cave art have appeared on memorabilia and other artifacts sold as a part of the tourist industry. In most climates, only paintings in sheltered sites, in particular caves, have survived for any length of time. Therefore, these are usually called "cave paintings", although many do survive in "rock-shelters" or cliff-faces under an overhang. In prehistoric times, these were often popular places for various human purposes, providing some shelter from

730-726: A specific point in time and space (in Rose Valley, Inyo County). Rose Valley is located in the boundaries of the cultural Great Basin and the territory of the Timbisha Shoshone . This site is important to understanding the symbolism and value of North American rock art because it is one of the largest collections of rock art unrelated to the Coso (an indigenous tribe/people of the Mojave Desert ). Its importance to territorial and anthropological studies helps many understand

803-554: A stamp. Alternately, the pigment could have been applied on dry, such as with a stick of charcoal. In some societies, the paint itself has symbolic and religious meaning; for instance, among hunter-gatherer groups in California, paint was only allowed to be traded by the group shamans, while in other parts of North America, the word for "paint" was the same as the word for "supernatural spirit". One common form of pictograph, found in many, although not all rock-art producing cultures,

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876-548: Is a charcoal drawing on a rock fragment found during the excavation of the Nawarla Gabarnmang rock shelter in south western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory . Dated at 28,000 years, it is one of the oldest known pieces of rock art on Earth with a confirmed date. Nawarla Gabarnmang has one of the most extensive collections of rock art in the world and predates both Lascaux and Chauvet cave art -

949-583: Is a negative print of the hand, and is sometimes described as a " stencil " in Australian archaeology. Miniature stencilled art has been found at two locations in Australia and one in Indonesia . Petroglyphs are engravings or carvings into rock which is left in situ . They can be created with a range of scratching, engraving or carving techniques, often with the use of a hard hammerstone , which

1022-420: Is a subset of the wider term, rock art. It is mostly on rock walls, but may be on ceilings and floors. A wide variety of techniques have been used in its creation. The term usually is applied only to prehistoric art , but it may be used for art of any date. Sheltered parietal art has had a far better chance of surviving for very long periods, and what now survives may represent only a very small proportion of what

1095-517: Is abundant due to a large underground dam in Tadjmout , which is the largest of its kind in Africa and dates to the colonial period. It is also known for its mineral water , called milok water, which has attracted investment from a Spanish bottler. Most residents of Laghouat Province trace their origins to Berbers and Arabs and neighboring Bedouin tribes that roamed the area. The population

1168-550: Is battered against the stone surface. In certain societies, the choice of hammerstone itself has religious significance. In other instances, the rock art is pecked out through indirect percussion, as a second rock is used like a chisel between the hammerstone and the panel. A third, rarer form of engraving rock art was through incision, or scratching, into the surface of the stone with a lithic flake or metal blade. The motifs produced using this technique are fine-lined and often difficult to see. Normally found in literate cultures,

1241-472: Is crucial to focus on the variable resources to understand how cultures were abiding with their environment. However, the rock art related sites at Little Rock can't be directly dated or analyzed. Australian Indigenous art represents the oldest unbroken tradition of art in the world. There are more than 100,000 recorded rock art sites in Australia . The oldest firmly dated rock-art painting in Australia

1314-530: Is found in many culturally diverse regions of the world. It has been produced in many contexts throughout human history. In terms of technique, the four main groups are: The oldest known rock art dates from the Upper Palaeolithic period, having been found in Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Anthropologists studying these artworks believe that they likely had magico-religious significance. The archaeological sub-discipline of rock art studies first developed in

1387-448: Is higher in winter than in summer. The average annual temperature in Laghouat is 17.4 °C (63.3 °F). About 176 mm (6.93 in) of precipitation falls annually. Rain falls irregularly, with severe droughts in some years. Sand dunes may encroach upon the town from the north in drought years, and have been countered with administrative buildings and a green belt of gardens around the city. The town relies on groundwater, which

1460-444: Is known for its variety of landscapes – mountain valleys, plateaus, plains, sand dunes and steppes – within a small area. Some call it the city of the four seasons, due to the diversity of the terrain. Landmarks of the town include the old mosque, the fortress of Sidi El Hajj Issa, its shrine, the old quarter, palm groves, and the French colonial cathedral. The French colonial military fort Tizgraren Tower (also called Buskaran Tower)

1533-493: Is that it is placed on natural rock surfaces; in this way, it is distinct from artworks placed on constructed walls or free-standing sculpture. As such, rock art is a form of landscape art, and includes designs that have been placed on boulder and cliff faces, cave walls, and ceilings, and on the ground surface. Rock art is a global phenomenon, being found in many different regions of the world. There are various forms of rock art. Some archaeologists also consider pits and grooves in

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1606-436: Is the hand print. There are three forms of this; the first involves covering the hand in wet paint and then applying it to the rock. The second involves a design being painted onto the hand, which is then in turn added to the surface. The third involves the hand first being placed against the panel, with dry paint then being blown onto it through a tube, in a process that is akin to air-brush or spray-painting. The resulting image

1679-570: Is under study in Colombia , South America at Serranía de la Lindosa was revealed in November 2020. Their age is suggested as being 12,500 years old (c. 10,480 B.C.) by the anthropologists working on the site because of extinct fauna depicted. Rock paintings or pictographs are located in many areas across Canada. There are over 400 sites attributed to the Ojibway from northern Saskatchewan to

1752-414: Is what is called “Qanbouz,” which is a serene veil that only protrudes one eye, and it was made of blue and then white cloth, and it had ancient analogues, like other cities, such as the “Fattah veil” and there is the dress, the holly, the protection and the khmer. .. However, these traditional clothes are almost extinct now for the sake of modern and imported clothes, which necessitates the establishment of

1825-702: The Ottawa River . However, cave art is not the only type of rock art. While cave art provides the two-dimensional view on a rocky surface, figurines made of a rock material can provide a three-dimensional view that gives insight on indigenous views towards their visual arts. Many sites along and off the California coastline, such as the Channel Islands and Malibu , have both realistic and abstract styles of zoomorphic effigy figurines. From archaeological studies at these sites, archaeologists and other researchers discovered many of these figurines and performed

1898-581: The megafauna may have persisted later in refugia (wetter areas of the continent) as suggested by Wells (1985: 228) and has suggested a much younger age for the paintings. Pigments from the Gwion Gwion of the Kimberley are so old they have become part of the rock itself, making carbon dating impossible. Some experts suggest that these paintings are in the vicinity of 50,000 years old and may even pre-date Aboriginal settlement. Miniature rock art of

1971-506: The stencilled variety at a rock shelter known as Yilbilinji, in the Limmen National Park in the Northern Territory , is one of only three known examples of such art. Usually stencilled art is life-size, using body parts as the stencil, but the 17 images of designs of human figures, boomerangs , animals such as crabs and long-necked turtles , wavy lines and geometric shapes are very rare. Found in 2017 by archaeologists ,

2044-607: The Americas is known as the "Horny Little Man". It is petroglyph depicting a stick figure with an oversized phallus and carved in Lapa do Santo , a cave in central-eastern Brazil. The most important site is Serra da Capivara National Park at Piauí state. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the largest collection in the American continent and one of the most studied. A site including eight miles of paintings or pictographs that

2117-411: The French army and one of the first instances of recorded use of chemical weapon on civilians. The storming of Laghouat turned quickly into several days of massacres to punish the population that was treated as combating enemies. The battle also witness the several deaths on the French side including that of general Bouscaren, that added to the fervor of the French soldiers to want to take revenge on

2190-515: The Maghreb, located in an oasis, surrounded by mountains and fortified. He also wrote that the city was a center of trade and learning, with many madrasas (schools) and students coming from all over North Africa to study in Laghouat. Ibn Khaldun also wrote about the history of Laghouat, which was founded by the Almoravids in the 11th century. He also wrote about the culture of Laghouat, which is Muslim and speaks Arabic and Berber. He also said that

2263-574: The Maghreb. – Ibn Khaldun Laghouat literally means "houses surrounding gardens." The city and the region as a whole were named by several titles, including 'the capital of the steppe', 'the gateway to the Sahara', 'bride of the Saharan Atlas', and 'the city of the four seasons'. The town of Laghouat is a regional center in the Algerian depression, an oasis south of Algiers. It is built on

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2336-425: The Maghreb. It is located in an oasis, and it is surrounded by mountains. The city is fortified, and it is an important stronghold for Muslims against Christians. Laghouat is also a center of trade and learning. There are many madrasas (schools) in the city, and many students come from all over North Africa to study in Laghouat. The city of Laghouat was founded by the Almoravids in the 11th century. The Almoravids were

2409-482: The Mozabite confederation), Metlili , and Ouargla . The nobles of the latter cities, after witnessing or hearing of the atrocities committed in Laghouat, quickly sought a peaceful agreement to surrender their cities or sign treaties to keep their autonomy under the protection of France. A few months after Laghouat, on 29 April 1853, general Randon , the French governor of Algeria, signed a treaty of protectorate with

2482-605: The area during the Stone Age , from about 9,000 BC. It is believed that climatic change displaced these prehistoric peoples, as it later displaced Roman and Byzantine settlements. The town's location was noted in Roman records on a plateau called Tizgrarin. The inhabitants refused to submit to the Byzantines and convert to Christianity, and resisted paying tribute or taxes to the empires which followed, who sometimes called it

2555-421: The band was twice the height of the others, and held in his hand something resembling the whaddie, or wooden sword of the natives of Port Jackson ; and was probably intended to represent a chief. They could not, as with us, indicate superiority by clothing or ornament, since they wore none of any kind; and therefore, with the addition of a weapon, similar to the ancients, they seem to have made superiority of person

2628-563: The banks of the Wadi Mzee, which flows eastwards from the Amour Range and is one of a large number of seasonal streams that empty into Chott Melrhir . It is bordered to the north by the municipality of Sidi Makhlouf , to the west by Tadjemout and Kheneg , to the east the municipality of El Assafia , and to the south the municipality of Mekhareg . Laghouat has a cold desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWk). Rainfall

2701-442: The chasms were deep holes or caverns undermining the cliffs; upon the walls of which I found rude drawings, made with charcoal and something like red paint upon the white ground of the rock. These drawings represented porpoises, turtle, kanguroos [sic], and a human hand; and Mr. Westall, who went afterwards to see them, found the representation of a kanguroo [sic], with a file of thirty-two persons following after it. The third person of

2774-409: The city following the siege. Surviving women were so afraid for their young sons of being collected by the French forces that they came up with a ruse to hide them. They dressed them as girls and put an earring on one ear. The tradition of protecting young boys from evil with an earring has survived until today. The level of brutality of the massacre of Laghouat was a show of force as well as part of

2847-592: The coastal seaboard on the west of the continent, which stretches from Iberia up through France and encompasses the British Isles, a variety of different rock arts were produced from the Neolithic through to the Late Bronze Age . A second area of the continent to contain a significant rock art tradition was that of Alpine Europe , with the majority of artworks being clustered in the southern slopes of

2920-491: The culture and period concerned, and except for Hittite and Persian examples they are generally discussed as part of that wider subject. The vertical relief is most common, but reliefs on essentially horizontal surfaces are also found. The term typically excludes relief carvings inside caves , whether natural or themselves man-made, which are especially found in India. Natural rock formations made into statues or other sculpture in

2993-620: The desert pavements (pebbles covering the ground) to reveal a negative image on the bedrock below. The best known example of such intaglio rock art is the Nazca Lines of Peru . In contrast, geoglyphs are positive images, which are created by piling up rocks on the ground surface to resulting in a visible motif or design. Traditionally, individual markings are called motifs and groups of motifs are known as panels . Sequences of panels are treated as archaeological sites . This method of classifying rock art however has become less popular as

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3066-470: The earliest figurines to be around the Middle Holocene, suggesting two socioeconomic interactive spheres (one in the northern and one in the southern Channel Islands) and linguistic similarities between Takic-speaking Gabrileno and Chumash neighbors. These figurines share similar styles between these tribes, providing a history of interactive contact. Little Lake is a complex of rock art located in

3139-547: The earliest known art in Europe - by at least 10,000 years. In 2008 rock art depicting what is thought to be a Thylacoleo was discovered on the north-western coast of the Kimberley . As the Thylacoleo is believed to have become extinct 45000–46000 years ago (Roberts et al. 2001) (Gillespie 2004), this suggests a similar age for the associated Gwion Gwion rock paintings . Archaeologist Kim Akerman however believes that

3212-453: The first recorded uses of chemical weapons on civilians. About two-thirds of the population perished, which became known locally as the Khalya (Arabic: emptiness). It also started a local tradition of protecting young boys from evil with an earring (then done to disguise them as girls). Other settlements quickly capitulated following the example set at Laghouat, and the French used the town as

3285-450: The form. The traditional dress does not differ greatly from what is prevalent in the ancient cities, especially in the steppe and desert region. As for the man, there are the brannos, the djellaba, the kandoora, the Arab trousers, the innovated “bra” chest, the shirt and the turban, which vary in size and have shrunk over time. As for what can be mentioned regarding women's clothing, there

3358-400: The in-depth descriptions and stylistic analyses of large rock art concentrations, which are valued by archaeologists, anthropologists, ethnographers, and even art enthusiasts. Referring back to these sites help social scientists understand and record the values that were important to the creators; it shows economic values or settlement patterns that were once a daily part of life. As a result, it

3431-462: The inhabitants of Laghouat as "the year of the Khalya ", meaning "emptiness" in Arabic. It is also commonly known as "the year of Hessian sacks ", referring to the way the captured surviving men and boys were put alive in sacks and thrown into trenches. Many reports of the battle were written by army chiefs and soldiers as well as visitors of the city after the massacre reported the morbid atmosphere of

3504-404: The island's rock shelters, Flinders discovered an array of painted and stenciled patterns. To record these images, he enlisted the ship's artist, William Westall . Westall's two watercolour sketches are the earliest known documentation of Australian rock art. In his journal, Flinders not only detailed the location and the artworks but also authored the inaugural site report: In the deep sides of

3577-590: The late-19th century among Francophone scholars studying the rock art of the Upper Palaeolithic found in the cave systems of parts of Western Europe. Rock art continues to be of importance to indigenous peoples in various parts of the world, who view them as both sacred items and significant components of their cultural heritage. Such archaeological sites may become significant sources of cultural tourism and have been used in popular culture for their aesthetic qualities. The term rock art appears in

3650-401: The long scorched earth tactic of the three French generals that took the fortified city. By ordering the massacre of the population, the French were eyeing all the remaining Saharian territories beyond Laghouat. During the battle of Laghouat several tribes and other city republics and fortresses delivered help to try to stop the advance of the French, namely Ghardaïa (and therefore the whole of

3723-639: The mountainous region, in what is now south-eastern France and northern Italy. Cave paintings are found in most parts of Southern Africa that have rock overhangs with smooth surfaces. Among these sites are the cave sandstone of Natal, Orange Free State and North-Eastern Cape, the granite and Waterberg sandstone of the Northern Transvaal, and the Table Mountain sandstone of the Southern and Western Cape. The oldest reliably dated rock art in

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3796-553: The natural contours of the rock and use them to define an image, but they do not amount to man-made reliefs. Rock reliefs have been made in many cultures, and were especially important in the art of the Ancient Near East . Rock reliefs are generally fairly large, as they need to be to make an impact in the open air. Most have figures that are over life-size, and in many the figures are multiples of life-size. Stylistically they normally relate to other types of sculpture from

3869-493: The nobles of the cities of M'zab, known in France as the capitulation of the Mzab. Rock paintings In archaeology , rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters ; this type also may be called cave art or parietal art . A global phenomenon, rock art

3942-626: The only other recorded examples are at Nielson's Creek in New South Wales and at Kisar Island in Indonesia. It is thought that the designs may have been created by stencils fashioned out of beeswax . The first European discovery of aboriginal rock paintings took place on 14 January 1803. While on a surveying expedition along the shores and islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria , British navigator and explorer Matthew Flinders made landfall on rugged Chasm Island off Groote Eylandt . Within

4015-502: The origins of art and belief. One of the most significant figures in this movement was the South African archaeologist David Lewis-Williams , who published his studies of San rock art from southern Africa, in which he combined ethnographic data to reveal the original purpose of the artworks. Lewis-Williams would come to be praised for elevating rock art studies to a "theoretically sophisticated research domain" by Whitley. However,

4088-403: The people of Laghouat are known for their hospitality and their sense of hospitality. Laghouat is an important city in the history of Algeria. It is a center of trade, learning, and culture, and a fortified city that played an important role in the defense of Algeria against Christians. Here is a more detailed description of Laghouat, as written by Ibn Khaldun: Laghouat is an important city in

4161-460: The population setting an example for other towns and cities throughout the south of Algeria. About two thirds (2,500 to 3,000 out of a total of 4,500 inhabitants remaining in the besieged city) including women and children were massacred. The massacre left a deep trauma in the Laghouati population that endures to this day. The year when the city was emptied of its population is still known to

4234-667: The principal emblem of superior power, of which, indeed, power is usually a consequence in the very early stages of society. In New Zealand, North Otago and South Canterbury have a rich range of early Māori rock art. The archaeological sub-discipline devoted to the investigation of rock art is known as "rock art studies". Rock art specialist David S. Whitley noted that research in this area required an "integrated effort" that brings together archaeological theory , method, fieldwork, analytical techniques and interpretation. Although French archaeologists had undertaken much research into rock art, Anglophone archaeology had largely neglected

4307-403: The published literature as early as the 1940s. It has also been described as "rock carvings", "rock drawings", "rock engravings", "rock inscriptions", "rock paintings", "rock pictures", "rock records", and "rock sculptures". Parietal art is a term for art in caves ; this definition usually extended to art in rock shelters under cliff overhangs. Popularly, it is called "cave art", and

4380-477: The reform instituted by the Statue of Algiers law of 20 September 1947. Since 1974, it has been the seat of a province of the same name. The population of the town was 134,373 inhabitants in 2008.There are natural gas deposits in the region, and nearby Hassi R'Mel has the second largest natural gas reserve in Africa. The city is served by Laghouat Airport . Ibn Khaldun described Laghouat as an important city in

4453-451: The rock known as cupules , or cups or rings , as a form of rock art. Although there are exceptions, the majority of rock art whose creation was recorded by ethnographers had been produced during rituals. As such, the study of rock art is a component of the archaeology of religion. Rock art serves multiple purposes in the contemporary world. In several regions, it remains spiritually important to indigenous peoples , who view it as

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4526-582: The round, most famously at the Great Sphinx of Giza , are also usually excluded. Reliefs on large boulders left in their natural location, like the Hittite İmamkullu relief , are likely to be included, but smaller boulders may be called stelae or carved orthostats . Earth figures are large designs and motifs that are created on the stone ground surface. They can be classified through their method of manufacture. Intaglios are created by scraping away

4599-540: The structure imposed is unlikely to have had any relevance to the art's creators. Even the word 'art' carries with it many modern prejudices about the purpose of the features. Rock art can be found across a wide geographical and temporal spread of cultures perhaps to mark territory, to record historical events or stories or to help enact rituals . Some art seems to depict real events whilst many other examples are apparently entirely abstract. Prehistoric rock depictions were not purely descriptive. Each motif and design had

4672-533: The subject for decades. The discipline of rock art studies witnessed what Whitley called a "revolution" during the 1980s and 1990s, as increasing numbers of archaeologists in the Anglophone world and Latin America turned their attention to the subject. In doing so, they recognised that rock art could be used to understand symbolic and religious systems, gender relations, cultural boundaries, cultural change and

4745-598: The town at times. In the 1650s the Moroccans established nominal control over the city, and in 1708 they sent out an expedition to create a tributary in Laghouat . The region was taken from the Moroccans, and became a tributary of the Deylik of Algiers in 1727. Other than occasional conflicts they regularly paid tribute annually of biannually to either the Bey of Oran , or the Bey of Titteri until 1828. The due tribute payment

4818-410: The use of ground ochre , while black paint is typically composed of charcoal , or sometimes from minerals such as manganese . White paint is usually created from natural chalk, kaolinite clay or diatomaceous earth. Once the pigments had been obtained, they would be ground and mixed with a liquid, such as water, blood, urine, or egg yolk, and then applied to the stone as paint using a brush, fingers, or

4891-407: The weather, as well as light. There may have been many more paintings in more exposed sites, that are now lost. Pictographs are paintings or drawings that have been placed onto the rock face. Such artworks have typically been made with mineral earths and other natural compounds found across much of the world. The predominantly used colours are red, black and white. Red paint is usually attained through

4964-460: Was created. Both parietal and cave art refer to cave paintings , drawings, etchings, carvings, and pecked artwork on the interior of caves and rock shelters. Generally, these either are engraved (essentially meaning scratched) or painted, or, they are created using a combination of the two techniques. Parietal art is found very widely throughout the world, and in many places new examples are being discovered. The defining characteristic of rock art

5037-581: Was cut short in 1830, as the Deylik of Algiers collapsed in 1830 following the French invasion of Algiers . Laghouat was a center of resistance against French colonial rule from 1831 under Sheikh Moussa Ibn Hassen El Misri. In 1852, France launched a punitive campaign to eradicate the resistance. The Siege of Laghouat began on 21 November and concluded with the storming of the town on 4 December. Several days of brutal massacres followed, which included one of

5110-435: Was opened as a tourist attraction in 2011. It is located at the highest point in the town and dates to 1857. It has four wings, catacombs, and a large square containing the tomb of General Buskaran, who was assassinated within the fort. In the last years of colonization, the tower was converted from a barracks to a military hospital specialized in treating respiratory conditions and allergies. Following Algerian independence , it

5183-415: Was the site of anti-government protests over improper housing, infrastructure, and treatment of the elderly by police. The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Laghouat has a long tradition as a meeting place and cultural center, and has developed handicrafts based around the local raw materials. In modern times, sand blasting art has emerged in Laghouat. Al-Taher Jadid is a local master of

5256-463: Was used by various security departments. . Siege of Laghouat The siege of Laghouat was an episode of the Algerian genocide perpetrated by the French. General Aimable Pélissier commanding an army of 6,000, besieged the city of Laghouat from 21 November until 4 December 1852, when the city capitulated. The brutal treatment of the inhabitants was part of the scorched earth tactic of

5329-479: Was very small due to the relatively isolated nature of the city. In1928 it had 7,000 people, and 11,999 in 1954. After independence in 1962 it was recorded that about 1000 Europeans and 600 Jews departed, but the overall population increased very fast to the economic influx spurred on by the oil and gas industry. The town had a population of 170,693 people, according to 2012 estimates. Rock paintings and other archeological evidence indicate that people were living in

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