Welcome to Beni Farah (also spelled Beni Ferah or Beni Frah website. The village of Beni Farah is also called Ah Frah in the Chaoui dialect as well as Ain Zaatout, the administrative name. It is located at the southern edge of the Saharan Atlas in the northeast of Algeria between the wilaya (departments) of Batna and Biskra. This site is a modest contribution aiming to present the village to whoever wishes to know a little bit about a not so-known place.
There are archaeological evidences showing that Beni Farah existed (likely intermittently) since old times. Large crafted stones can be seen in the area of Ain al-Gat south of the village. Along the footpath linking Thaklih n'Kasha to al-Kaa n'Foulka similar stones are found as well as at the west of Liana, Thiwririne and Thizi Amahashmaggen. This kind of stones is typical of the middle ages and older and have no resemblance to the kind of material used to erect the existing houses. At Ikhef n'Souf there were some Latin inscriptions on a bolder which indicate that the village is indeed an old settlement.
On the names Beni Farah and Ain Zaatout
Beni Farah is officially called Ain Zaatout; a name of a debated origin and seldom used by Farhis and their neighbours who use either the Arabic name "Beni Farah" or "Ah Frah" in Shawi dialect. There is a strong believe that the name Ain Zaatout was originated by the colonial French administration at the first half of the 20th century. Colonel Niox, author of "La geographie militaire VI: Algerie et Tunisie" in 1890, mentions the village by the name Beni Farah (although with a somewhat erroneous spelling) and not Ain Zaatout. The Encarta encyclopaedia and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center show the village by the name "Beni Ferah" as is the case in old French maps of Algeria. The antiquarian bookseller Sotheran's (based at York, England) has in 2004 put for sale on its web site (www.sotherans.co.uk) the "A personal photograph album recording a family trip to Algeria" containing photographs of Beni Farah (spelled Beni Ferah in the original English captions of photos) taken between February 1923 to 1924. The linguistic and ethnologist Andre Basset (1895-1956) used the name "Ait Frah", the Kabyle translation of Ah Frah, in his writings about the village. In the document "Un exemple de l'extension des services des P.T.T. La région du Sud Constantinois." No 59 published on 20 March 1949 by the PTT (French Post and Telecommunications service), the name Ain Zaatout has been used.
Medicinal Herbs There are numerous medicinal herbs growing in the wild in Beni Farah. They flourish during rainy years particularly in areas less exposed to animal grazing; many of them are evergreen. The two variants of Artemisia, izri and thagufth, are the most known and spread herbs. Izri can be found almost anywhere in the south as well as in the north of the village. Thagufth is limited to higher grounds and spreads along the north of Thaaouint n'Tazzart area. Wild rosemary (azir) grows in the north and eastern parts and is also used for heating along with wild asparagus (Azzou). M'zoushen prefers to grow on rocks of high grounds; it makes a wonderful aroma for goat milk. Thyme (flaggoo) is not that common in Beni Farah but it can be found along the main irrigation ditch of Ain l'Kat. The Spanish thyme (manta) spreads all over the muddy edges of irrigation ditches especially in Kasha and Jebalwa. Among other medicinal herbs in Beni Farah are dandelion, sweet cicely, thizrekth, ish natkoura, artemisia arborescens (merriw), cynara scolymus (thagga), capparis spinosa (thalilekth), ruta graveolens (awermi), thapsia garganica (adheryas) and plenty of armel (harmel) in the built up areas.
Wild flowers
The best season to see the full spectrum of wild flowers growing in Beni Farah is between March and June. The following are abundant species particularly in grooves and farmed terraces.
Common poppy (thakkoukth), rough poppy (thakkoukth ounaghyoul), winter cress, sweet Alison, toothed medick, common mallow (khabbeyz), stinging nettle (thimsakseen), cord-necklace, shepherd's needle, great pignut, giant fennel, bindweed, white horehound, white henbane, Cornish moneywort (thaljameen), daisy, chamomile, ragwort, thistle, galactites tomentosa, grape-hyacinth, Dandelion (Abechar elkheir) and purshane (berrathkala).
Wild life
There are evidences that the Atlas mountains were a natural habitat for elephants, lions, tigers, hippopotamuses, crocodiles and much of the animals presently living in Africa's Savannah. Nowadays wild boars, hyenas, jackals and foxes are the main wild mammals found in Beni Farah and in the Saharian Atlas in general. Larger predators have apparently been exterminated not so long ago. The last tiger killed in Beni Farah can be traced to a century or so ago at a place called al'Ghar ni Ksel (Tiger's cave) in the Mezzer valley by a chieftain from the Ah Wadda clan.
Hares, Algerian hedgehog (locally called insi) and jerboas live in here too. Spiny-tailed agamas (locally called tab) used to be found southwards but are now almost extinct. There are also sights of wild cats (safsh in local Shawi) and crested porcupine (the North African type the locals call dharban). Scorpions, snakes and chameleons are numerous. Chameleons particularly risk extension because of savage collection practiced by children for selling at nearby cities for the alleged curing capabilities of their skins.
There are also varieties of lizards in Beni Farah like the common wall lizard (locally called imjaddem) ، moorish gecko, sand lizard (locally called thazalmoomkth) and the green lizard (locally known as azalmoomi).
عين زعطوط وتسمى هذه المنطقة أيضا بني فرح هي بلدية تقع في السفوح الجنوبية للأوراس بين ولايتي باتنة وبسكرة في الشرق الجزائري تحدها من الجنوب البرانيس و جمورة ومن الشرق امنطان ومنعة ومن الغرب القنطرة ومن الشمال معافة و ثاكوست تمتاز بزراعة الزيتون و تربية النحل وبعض الزراعات المعاشية كما تمتاز بمناخها الشبه صحراوية الشديد البرودة شتاءا و المعتدل صيفا كما لديها تضاريسها المتنوعة بين الكهوف و الجبال تؤهلها أن تكون منطقة سياحية من الدرجة الأولى في المنطقة ولكنها لا تحتوي على مرافق سياحية التي يمكنها جلب السياح . ilyes.only@yahoo.fr