Messaâd

Messad
Commune and town
Messad is located in Algeria
Messad
Messad
Coordinates: 34°10′0″N 3°30′0″E / 34.16667°N 3.50000°E / 34.16667; 3.50000
Country Algeria
ProvinceDjelfa Province
Population
 (2008 Census)[1]
 • Total97,091
Time zoneUTC+1 (West Africa Time)

Messad (sometimes Messaad; Arabic: مسعد) is a town in Algeria. It was the Roman Castellum Dimmidi.

History

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It is about 290 km (180 mi) south of Algiers. During the Roman period it was known as Castellum Dimmidi after the Romans under emperor Septimius Severus seized the settlement.[2] It is unclear if the second part of the name, Dimmidi, was a native name transliterated into Latin, or a new name given by the Romans.

As the Castellum (castle) implies, the settlement was a fortress along the Limes Tripolitanus, the southern border of the province of Numidia. It was a prosperous village and hosted a Roman garrison from roughly 198 to 240 AD.[3]

Messaad has a population of nearly 120,000 inhabitants.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "World Cities with 110,000 to 125,000 people in 2005", Mongaboy.com. URL last accessed on 8 May 2006.
  2. ^ Francois Decret, Early Christianity in North Africa (James Clarke & Co, 2011) p. 6
  3. ^ (in French) Dr. Rebound, "Notes Archéologiques sur les Ruines de Djelfa", php4arab.com. URL last accessed on 8 May 2006. Archived 27 September 2005 at the Wayback Machine