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Théniet El Had National Park

Coordinates: 35°40′N 01°49′E / 35.667°N 1.817°E / 35.667; 1.817
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Théniet El Had National Park
Inside a forest within the park
Highest point
PeakRas el Braret
Elevation1,787 m (5,863 ft)
Geography
Map
CountryAlgeria
EL MEDDAD National Park in Algeria
LocationTissemsilt Province, Algeria
Nearest cityThéniet El Haâd
Coordinates35°40′N 01°49′E / 35.667°N 1.817°E / 35.667; 1.817
Area34.24 km2 (13.22 sq mi)
Established1983 (Protected from 1929)
Map

The Théniet El Had National Park is one of the 10 national parks of Algeria. It is located in Tissemsilt Province, named after Théniet El Haâd, a town near this park.
The park was designated as Algeria's first protected national park on July 23, 1983.[1][2]

Description

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3,424 hectares make up the Theniet El Had cedar forest, of which 1,000 hectares are found in the Ouarsenis Massif of the Atlas Tellien. The park that was first bounded on 1,500 hectares by order No. 3766 of August 3, 1929 was superseded by the national park, which was established by decree No. 83-459 on July 23, 1983.[3]

Raising to 1,787 meters, Ras El Braret is the highest peak. Kef Siga, at 1,784 meters, is the next highest point, and is distinguished by a massive rock on top of which a giant "parasol" cedar stands out conspicuously. At "Rond Point" (1,461 m), the two summits are dominant.

The park starts by a wide clearing beside Theniet El Had, encircled by centuries-old cedars, a genuine sea of greenery. Built in 1887 by M. Jourdan, the financial representative of Theniet El Had,[4] the site is improved by a woodland house and a chalet named after him, Chalet Jourdan.

Locals refer to the cedar forest as "El Meddad" It contains multiple ferruginous carbonate springs with a temperature of 12°, which are suggested for intestinal disorders and ulcers (Ain Harhar, Tirsout, Ouertane, Djèdj El-Ma, Sidi Abdoun - Sulphurous water).

There are recreational and ecological benefits to the cedar forest of Theniet El Had. The "sylvan nobility" is who the cedar is. The site is presently being worked to protect by the Cedar National Park. Currently, it is housed in an impressive structure that is a work of modern design, rising 1,100 meters above the surrounding landscape and nestled in the center of a cedar forest. The establishment features a cedar wood cottage that adorns the internal courtyard.

Guy de Maupassant wrote: "But what left me with the dearest memories of this excursion were the afternoon walks along the slightly wooded paths on these rolling hillsides from where one overlooks an immense undulating and tawny country from the blue sea to the Ouarsenis mountain range which bears on its peaks the cedar forest of Téniet-el-Had"- Allouma, by Guy de Maupassant. Text published in L'Écho de Paris, February 1889, then in the collection La main gauche.[5]

Vegetation

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Vegetation of the Park

The forested sector occupies roughly 3/4 of the park area, while the rest is made up of small ground-level plants. Three distinct layers can be distinguished from each other:[6]

Fauna

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Seventeen species of mammals live in the park, nine of which are protected, also 27 bird species live here, of which 60% are actively breeding here.[7]

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References

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  1. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20231108004350/https://www.joradp.dz/FTP/Jo-Arabe/1983/A1983031.pdf as per decree N° 83-459 issued in the 31th Algerian Government Gazette page 1985.
  2. ^ "Parc National de Théniet el Had | la Direction Générale des Forêts". Archived from the original on 2024-03-29.
  3. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20231108004350/https://www.joradp.dz/FTP/Jo-Arabe/1983/A1983031.pdf as per decree N° 83-459 issued in the 31th Algerian Government Gazette page 1985.
  4. ^ "La forêt des cèdres de Théniet". Archived from the original on 2024-03-29.
  5. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20240329230324/https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/La_main_gauche,_Ollendorff/01 3-54p
  6. ^ "Parc National de Théniet El Had: Flore". Archived from the original on 2013-11-19. Retrieved 2023-12-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Explore Algeria's Théniet El Had National Park". Algeria.com. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
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