Tlemcen

Tlemcen
تِلِمْسَان
Location of Tlemcen in the Tlemcen Province
Tlemcen
Location within Algeria
Coordinates: 34°52′58″N 01°19′00″W / 34.88278°N 1.31667°W / 34.88278; -1.31667
Country Algeria
ProvinceTlemcen
DistrictTlemcen District
Area
 • Total
40.11 km2 (15.49 sq mi)
Elevation
842 m (2,762 ft)
Population
 (2008 census)
 • Total
140,158
 • Density3,494/km2 (9,050/sq mi)
Postal code
13000
ClimateCsa

Tlemcen (/tlɛmˈsɛn/; Arabic: تِلِمْسَان, romanizedTilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran and the capital of Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the port of Rachgoun. It had a population of 140,158, as of the 2008 census.

A major centre of the Central Maghreb, the city is a mix of Arab, Berber, Andalusi, Ottoman, and Western influences. From this mosaic of influences, the city derives the title of capital of Andalusian art in Algeria. Various titles are attributed to the city including "the Pearl of the Maghreb", "the African Granada" and "the Medina of the West".