Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e. bulaydah, diminutive of the arab word belda, city.
Blida lies surrounded with orchards and gardens, 630 ft. above the sea, at the base of the Tell Atlas, on the southern edge of the fertile plain of the Metija, and the right bank of the Wad-el-Kebir outflow from the Chiffa gorge. The abundant water of this stream provides power for large corn mills and several factories, and also supplies the town, with its numerous fountains and irrigated gardens. Blida is surrounded by a wall of considerable extent, pierced by six gates, and is further defended by Port Mimieh, crowning a steep hill on the left bank of the river.
The nearby Chiffa gorge is a habitat of the endangered Barbary Macaque, Macaca sylvanus; this habitat is one of only a few relict locations where populations of this primate are found. |
