Souk Ahras Information & Souk Ahras Links at HealthHaven.com

*Commune of Souk Ahras*
	Commune of Souk Ahras
	بلدية سوق أهراس
	; Former city hall of Souk Ahras, now used as a municipal theatre
	; Map of Algeria highlighting Souk Ahras Province
	; Map of Souk Ahras Province highlighting Souk Ahras Municipality
ONS code	4101
Postal code	41000
Province	Souk Ahras (seat)
District	Souk Ahras (coextensive)
PMA Seats	23
Altitude	699 m (2296 ft)
Population	116 745 (1998)

Souk Ahras (Arabic: سوق أهراس‎; Chaoui: ) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Souk Ahras Province.

[edit] Etymology

The name derives from the Arabic word "souk" which means market, and the Chaoui word ahra (plural ahras) which means lion, in reference to the Barbary lions which existed in the neighboring forests until their extinction in 1930; hence Souk Ahras means market of lions.

[edit] History

The Numidian city of Thagaste (or Tagaste), on whose ruins Souk Ahras was built, was situated in the north-eastern highlands of Numidia, shortly afterwards, it became Roman. It was about sixty miles from Hippo Regius, now called Annaba, and about 150 miles from Carthage (on the coast of present day Tunisia). It was the birthplace of Augustine of Hippo.^[1] The city was mentioned by Pliny the Elder. Besides Saint Augustine, there were many other bishops who served Thagaste, among them are:

Saint Fermin
Saint Alype, a friend of Augustine
Saint Januarius

In the nineteenth century it was a French colonial settlement. In the twentieth century mining and the railway brought some signicance and prosperity to the town. Today, Tagaste is in the province of Souk Ahras in Eastern Algeria.