The Aures, the great massif between the high plains of Constantine and the Zab, has been a refuge of independent Berbers since antiquity.
Its villages and granaries govern themselves; the Arab Athbaj graze its northern foot, and Yahya ibn Ghaniya's war passes along its western edge between Biskra and Constantine.
Who holds it
- Title
- Village councils and tribal elders
- Family
- Berber mountain peoples (Ibn Khaldun names Hawwara and Zenata groups in and round the massif)
- Confidence
- low
Ibn Khaldun
Overlord
None effective
What it holds
- The Aures massif
How things stand that morning
Self-governing; the war of 1199 passed along its edge.
Wealth
Terraced farming, apricots, herds
Military
Village levies in fortified granaries
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: No dated record for 1200.
On the map: Approximate.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.