Tlemcen, also spelled (after 1981) Tilimsen, town, northwestern Algeria, near the border with Morocco. Tlemcen is backed by the cliffs of
the well-watered Tlemcen Mountains and overlooks the fertile Hennaya and Maghnia plains. Lying at an elevation of 2,648 feet (807 metres), Tlemcen is located sufficiently inland to avoid the humidity of the Mediterranean Sea coast but is near enough to receive cooling sea breezes in summer. The resulting temperate climate favoured Tlemcen’s development and explains its historical importance.
Tlemcen has more buildings dating from the 12th to the 15th century than any other town in Algeria. With the exception of the Great Mosque built by the Almoravids in the 12th century, most of the city’s medieval buildings strongly reflect the influence of Moorish (Muslim) Spain. The Mosque of Sīdí bel Ḥassan (1296, now a museum), the Méchouar, or citadel (1145, now a military hospital and barracks), the Sahrij, or Great Basin (a 14th-century reservoir, now dry), and the Grotto of Rabbi Ephraim ben Israel Ankawa (15th century) are notable landmarks. Tlemcen’s winding, narrow, arched streets are crowded with shops, cafés, and mosques. The ruins of the Marinid city of Mansoura to the west has notable examples of Hispano-Moorish art.
Source: britannica.com
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