Petra Mlakou Castle
| Petra Mlakou Castle | |
|---|---|
Tiγremt n Petra | |
| Alternative names | Mlako |
| General information | |
| Status | ruins |
| Type | Castle |
| Location | Algeria, Bejaia, Algeria |
| Owner | Nuvel |
| Technical details | |
| Size | "Size of a city"-Ammianus Marcellinus |
Petra Castle (Tamazight: Tiγremt n Petra), also known as Mlakou, is a historical site that was the former castle of the Quinquegentian King Nubel located near Béjaïa in Algeria.[1]
Destroyed in the fourth century by the Roman general Theodosius,[2][3][1] during the war against Firmus, Petra was the residence of Zammac, a Berber king son of Nubel.[2] According to the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus, Petra was "the size of a city".[2][1]
Discovery
The existence of the site of Petra was reported in 1901 by the French historian and archaeologist Stéphane Gsell. The discovery of an inscription engraved on a stone at Ighzer Amokrane, near Petra, mentions the construction by Nubel of a "fortified castle which rose on a mountain overlooking the Soummam".[1]
History
Presented by archaeologists as "the seat of residence and governance of the region", Petra was razed to the ground by Theodosius after Firmus revolted against the authority of Emperor Valentinian II[1][2]. Description by Stéphane Gsell In his "Note on an inscription by Ighzer Amokrane", Stéphane Gsell describes Petra as a "spur that commands the confluence of the Oued-Seddouk with the Oued-Sahel (the Soummam) to the north". He also mentions the presence of "traces of walls, capitals, well-preserved columns" and "stones bearing characters and designs used for neighbouring constructions".
References
- ^ a b c d e "Le château de Petra ( Mlakou ) – Tourisme et voyages en Algérie" (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ a b c d Kherbouche, F. (2010). "Mlakou". Encyclopédie berbère (in French) (32): 5032–5033. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.611. ISSN 1015-7344.
- ^ "MLAKOU ANTIQUE PETRA | Cartes Patrimoine Culturel Algérien". cartes.patrimoineculturelalgerien.org. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
Further reading
- Iaichouchen, Ouamar (June 2025). "Installations de production viticole dans le site archéologique de Mlakou en Algérie" [Wine production facilities in the archaeological site of Mlakou in Algeria]. Revue d'Histoire Méditerranéenne (in French). 7 (1): 113–126.