View source for Mascara, Algeria

{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Mascara <br> معسكر
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 

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|image_skyline            = Mascara (ville).jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = Mascara (blason).jpg

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|image_map                = Algeria-Mascara.png
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location of Mascara, Algeria
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of countries|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = [[Image:Flag of Algeria.svg|20px]] [[Algeria]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[Province]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Mascara Province]]
|government_footnotes     = 
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|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         = 

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = 2008
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 150,000
}}

[[Image:Flag of Mascara.svg|thumb|125px|Historic city flag.]]

'''Mascara''' ({{Lang-ar|<big>معسكر</big>}}) is the capital city of [[Mascara Province]], [[Algeria]], in northwestern [[Algeria]]. It has 150,000 inhabitants (2008 estimate). The name Mascara comes from the Arabic "Mother of Soldiers".

Mascara was the capital city of [[Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri|Emir Abd al-Qadir]], a leader of the Algerian resistance to early French colonial rule.

Mascara is an administrative, commercial and a market centre. Its trade is mostly centered on leather goods, grains, and olive oil, but it is especially famous for its good wine.

Mascara has good road and rail connections with other urban centres of Algeria. [[Relizane]] is 65&nbsp;km northeast, [[Sidi Bel Abbes]] 90&nbsp;km southwest, [[Oran]] 105 kkm northwest and [[Saïda, Algeria|Saïda]] 80&nbsp;km south.

Mascara has two parts, a newer [[France|French]] area, and an older [[Muslim]] one. Large parts of the town lie inside the ruins of its ancient [[Defensive wall|rampart]]s.

The city is also home of [[Lakhdar Belloumi]], the former Algerian football (soccer) star.

==History==
[[File:EmirAbdelKader.jpg|left|200px|Emir [[Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri|Abd al-Qadir]].]]
* 1701: Founded as an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] military garrison. Many Muslims with [[Andalusia|Andalucian]] origins are settled here by the Ottomans.
* Around 1790: Andalucian Muslims leave Mascara, causing the Ottoman Empire to relocate Jews to Mascara.
* 1832: [[Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri|Abd al-Qadir]] makes Mascara his headquarters.
* 1835: Mascara is destroyed by the French.
* 1841: The French establish full control over Mascara.
* August 18, 1994: An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the [[Richter scale]] kills 171 people in Mascara.

==Sister cities==
* {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Elkader, Iowa]], [[United States]]
* {{flagicon|Western Sahara}} [[Tifariti]], [[Western Sahara]]
* {{Flagicon|Turkey}} [[Bursa]], [[Turkey]]

{{Province seats of Algeria}}

{{Mascara Province}}

[[Category:Populated places in Mascara Province]]
[[Category:Communes of Algeria]]

[[ar:معسكر (مدينة)]]
[[ca:Mascara]]
[[cy:Mascara, Algeria]]
[[de:Muaskar]]
[[fr:Mascara (Algérie)]]
[[nl:Mascara (stad)]]
[[pl:Muaskar]]
[[ro:Mascara, Algeria]]
[[ru:Маскара]]
[[tr:Muaskar]]
[[war:Mascara]]