Contemporary history

Throughout history, the Souk Ahras region has held great strategic importance, which explains the establishment of Roman and Byzantine settlements in ancient times. During the Islamic civilization period, it was a hub of diverse economic production and served as a route for caravan trade. Many states succeeded one another in the region, and it produced numerous prominent historical figures remembered with honor. However, Souk Ahras, under its current name, gained particular renown during the Algerian War of Liberation. It played a historic role as a key land corridor for smuggling weapons and ammunition, a fact that compels historians, in the spirit of historical objectivity, to highlight the strategic importance of the eastern borders—especially after World War II—due to several factors, such as its openness to the land borders of neighboring Arab countries like Tunisia and Libya, and its access to the Arab sphere and support from it, away from the heavy blockade suffered by the western borders.

From this strategic importance arises the significance of launching a doctoral project that will contribute to providing research sources and add high-quality studies on the region’s history.

The doctoral training project titled "The Algerian National Memory in Its Historical and Civilizational Dimensions" aligns with the strategic priorities outlined in the 2022 policy memorandum, under the theme "Memory and Heritage," particularly its sub-themes:

• History and Civilizations
• Colonial Crimes
• National Identity
• Heritage and Tourism
• Tangible and Intangible Heritage

It also responds to the research objectives stated in Article 7 of the Framework Law on Scientific Research dated December 30, 2015, which emphasizes the importance of achieving research objectives related to the social sciences and history, namely:

• Comprehensive advancement of knowledge
• Strengthening national defense and security capabilities
• Deepening studies in Islamic science and civilization
• Advanced research on the memory of popular resistance, the national movement, and the War of National Liberation
• Protection and valorization of national cultural and civilizational heritage
• In-depth studies of the history of human civilization in all its stages, particularly in Algeria
• Supporting national unity and stability, both essential for sustainable development

This is also grounded in the 2020 Constitution’s preamble, which states:

"The Algerian people are free and determined to remain free. Their history, rooted across thousands of years, is a continuous series of struggle and jihad, which has always made Algeria a cradle of freedom..."

Accordingly, the selected research topics all pertain to Algerian history through the ages, addressing historical and civilizational issues that are worthy of scholarly research and academic study.