Thursday, January 25, 2007

Boussemghoune: from Sufism to Tourism

[From the French language press]:
Cité algerienne d’origine berbère, dont sa composante parle toujours le Tamazight, Boussemghoune est prédisposée à devenir un pôle touristique indéniable.
La Nouvelle République - 11 Janvier 1007 -Par C.P.

An algerian village of Berber origin, where Tamazight [an Afro-Asiatic language and a member of the Berber group] is spoken, Boussemghoune is developing into a promising tourist pole. By the beauty of its landscape, by the oasis with palms plantations and orchards of pomegranates, by the limpid and fresh running water, this "ksar" [group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls] has been from time immemorial a caravanserai, i.e. a "place impossible to circumvent".

Boussemghoune, located 165 Km [102.5 miles] south of El Bayadh is where Sufi saint Mohamed Tidjani (born in Ain Madhi, Laghouat) went for refuge and meditation, and eventually established there, enchanting the people through his presence.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A lovely article :) Isn't Tamashek a Tuareg language?

Ya Haqq!

Marina Montanaro said...

Salaam Dear Irving,
it is a language of the Berber group, spoken by approx 1.2 million of people, mostly bilingual with Arabic (source: University of Cambridge).
There is a wealth on the web.
Thank you for asking,
I added a note in the text.
Ya Allah!
Marina

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Boussemghoune: from Sufism to Tourism
[From the French language press]:
Cité algerienne d’origine berbère, dont sa composante parle toujours le Tamazight, Boussemghoune est prédisposée à devenir un pôle touristique indéniable.
La Nouvelle République - 11 Janvier 1007 -Par C.P.

An algerian village of Berber origin, where Tamazight [an Afro-Asiatic language and a member of the Berber group] is spoken, Boussemghoune is developing into a promising tourist pole. By the beauty of its landscape, by the oasis with palms plantations and orchards of pomegranates, by the limpid and fresh running water, this "ksar" [group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls] has been from time immemorial a caravanserai, i.e. a "place impossible to circumvent".

Boussemghoune, located 165 Km [102.5 miles] south of El Bayadh is where Sufi saint Mohamed Tidjani (born in Ain Madhi, Laghouat) went for refuge and meditation, and eventually established there, enchanting the people through his presence.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A lovely article :) Isn't Tamashek a Tuareg language?

Ya Haqq!

Marina Montanaro said...

Salaam Dear Irving,
it is a language of the Berber group, spoken by approx 1.2 million of people, mostly bilingual with Arabic (source: University of Cambridge).
There is a wealth on the web.
Thank you for asking,
I added a note in the text.
Ya Allah!
Marina