Constantine
[key], ancient Cirta, city, 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
(a.d. 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.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Algerian Political Geography
