The Rhumel River (Arabic: وادي الرمال), also Rhummel, Rummel, El-Kebîrl, known in antiquity as the Ampsaga river.
Geography
The source of the Rhumel river is in the Ferdjioua (Mila) mountains. From there it meanders through the Constantine plateau, then narrows considerably north of Aïn Smara where it forms an almost complete oxbow before infiltrating, in a SW/NE orientation, the Djebel El Hadjar limestone tables and the Aïn El Bey plateau.
From here, it flows into a narrow ravine near Boussouf, goes through several curves, and becomes very narrow again at a place called "the Roman arches". This leads to the entrance to the Kheneg gorges, whose huge eastern pillar, called "Tiddis mountain", is the site of Tiddis, a significant Berbers and Ancient Rome city that was explored by the archaeologist André Berthier.
The lower Rhumel (or Oued-el-Kebir) passes through deep gorges in the Numidian mountains and empties into the sea east of the Gulf of Jijel.
Tributaries
The main tributary of the Rhumel is the
Oued-Boumerzoug which rises in the commune of Aïn M'lila. Its waters are widely used for irrigation, and the important spa of
Ain Fesguia is located towards the head of the valley. This tributary supplies drinking water to the city of Constantine, which is highly prone to flooding being situated at the confluence of the Boumerzoug and the Rhumel.
Les gorges du Rhumel et le pont El Kantara.jpg|The Rhumel gorges and the El Kantara bridge
Pont des Chutes (Constantine) 02.jpg|The Falls Bridge on Rhumel River
Rhumel canyon, north side, Constantine, Algeria.jpg|Rhumel canyon, north side
Another tributary is the Oued Dekri, near the town of Chelghoum Laïd 50 km southwest of Constantine.
Further reading
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P.-A. Février and E. B, "Ampsaga / Amsaga", Berber Encyclopedia, November 1, 1985, p. 606–608 (, read online, accessed October 9, 2019)
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"The history of Maurétanie. », At www.cosmovisions.com (accessed October 9, 2019)
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Constantine, the most beautiful city you've never heard of
