Biskra

Oasis town in Batna department, Algeria, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, about 200 km/124 mi southwest of Constantine; population (1998) 171,000. Biskra is the centre of the Zab (Ziban) group of oases and lies to the south of a large depression between the Aurés Massif and the Tell Atlas, en route from Constantine to Touggourt. Dates, olives, figs, apricots, wheat, and barley are produced. The mild winters, and the airport and hot sulphur springs in the modern spa of Hammam Salahine 5 km/3 mi to the northwest, have helped the rise of the tourist industry.

The town was built on the site of the Roman fort of Vescera, and grew rapidly after the Arab conquest of North Africa in the 9th century. The Turks occupied Biskra in 1552, and it became a French garrison town in 1844.