TheTrara Mountains are a mountain range inAlgeria, located on the northwest coast of the country. The range has an average altitude of 500 to 1,000 metres (1,600 to 3,300 ft), with a maximum altitude of 1,336 metres (4,383 ft) at the level of theDjebel Fellaoucene.
The Trara Mountains are a coastal range in the western extension of theTell Atlas mountains. It represents, in the Tell Oranais, a mountainous block that is difficult to access. Thismassif appears as a mountainous arch between theMediterranean Sea to thenorth, the valley of the Wadi Tafna to the east, theWadi Mouilah to the south and the valley ofWadi Kiss to the west, which determines theMoroccan border.[1]This space represents a well-identified geographical entity considering its rugged relief of east-west orientation running entirely north of theWilayah ofTlemcen and the northwest of the Wilayah ofAïn Témouchent.[1]
Ruins of the ancient mosque of Mokra, located on Djbel Sidi Sofiane near Tajra inTlemcen Province
Like other mountainous regions ofNorth Africa, this regional entity is characterized by a human environment ofBerber origin, which is very ancient and highly conservative.[3][4]
The tribes living in this area had been grouped since the Middle Ages[5] into a confederation called Trara,[6] named after the same massif. This confederation was composed of seven tribes of the Koumia branch of the Beni Faten:[7] Beni Mishel,[8] Beni Menir, Beni Ouarsous, Beni Khallad,[9] Beni Abed, Beni Frouzech, and Beni Rimâne. They are also called Oulahca[10][11]
The Koumia tribe[12] lived in the Trara Mountains,[13] near Nedroma. Remarkable for their bravery, they became one of the most powerful tribes of the Almohads thanks to their exploits.[14][15][16][17]
Abd Al Mumin Ben Ali, the Almohad caliph,[18] is generally regarded as the “founder of Nedroma[14]” by popular tradition, which has made him the “founding hero” of the city.[19] He was from the Kumia tribe,[20] in the Trara mountains.[21] His place of origin is typically located at the foot of Trara.[22] As noted byIbn Khaldun,[23] who primarily relied on his native tribe in his government. Many sources reinforce the idea that Abd al-Mu’min descended fromAli ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law and cousin of Muhammad as well as the father of the Prophet’s only male descendants. This ancestry allowed him to legitimise himself as a direct descendant of the Prophet, an essential criterion for holding the highest office in Islam.[24]
^Dominique Auzias et Jean-Paul Labourdette, Algérie 2009-2010, Le Petit Futé, coll. « Country Guide », 4e éd. (ISBN9782746921962, OCLC 716716987), p. 299.
