Biskra is the capital city of Biskra province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 207,987.
As of 1935, Biskra was an inland town, the principal settlement of a Saharan oasis watered by the intermittent Oued Biskra. It is in the southern part of the Algerian rail system, and a favorite winter resort. Large quantities of fruit, especially dates, were grown in the vicinity. The town was a military post, and was the scene of severe fighting in the rebellions of 1849 and 1871.
The Hungarian composer Béla Bartók collected traditional music in Biskra in 1913.
Biskra is the setting of key sections of André Gide's 1902 novel The Immoralist. |
