Culture in the wilaya of Béjaïa

Writers, artists and athletes

Djamel Allam, a Kabyle singer and musician, was born in the wilaya of Béjaïa on 26 July 1947. Jean Amrouche, born at Ighil Ali in 1906, was the foremost poet of the earliest North African writers in French, according to Britannica.

The sociologist Abdelmalek Sayad, who studied emigration and immigration, was born in 1933 at Aghbala, a village of Beni Djellil.

Cheikh Sadek El Bejaoui, a master of Andalusian music who also sang Kabyle song, was born in Béjaïa on 17 December 1907. The footballer Mustapha Dahleb was born in the town in 1952.

The film director Abderrahmane Bouguermouh was born at Ouzellaguen on 25 February 1936. In 1996 he adapted "La Colline oubliée", a novel by Mouloud Mammeri, for the cinema. He died in Algiers in February 2013.

Theatre

The Festival international du théâtre de Béjaïa takes place at the Théâtre régional Abdelmalek Bouguermouh. Its 14th edition ran from 10 to 17 October 2025 and was devoted to African theatre.

The cultural centre of Amizour, named after Malek Bouguermouh, hosts a festival of amateur theatre with a prize of the same name. Its 12th edition ran from 15 to 20 August 2018, with 12 troupes. The 15th edition, from 9 to 12 January 2024, formed part of the celebrations of Yennayer, the Amazigh new year.

Traditions and crafts

With Ighil Ali and Boudjellil, Aït R'zine belongs to the traditional region of the Ath Abbas, also written Aït Abbas.

Pottery made by women is a tradition of Aït-Smail. In August 2017 women potters showed and made their work at a pottery festival there.

At the start of March, Tibane marks Amenzu n'Tefsut, the first day of spring, with a local dish called seksu n uderyis.

Festivals of local produce

In January 2014, Barbacha held its first olive festival at the local youth centre, organised by the tourism association Ittij. Local farmers showed their olive oil, with honey, jam and dried figs.

From 23 to 25 August 2011, Chellata held its first festival of the prickly pear, at the primary school of the village of M'Liha. The association Tanekra and the Nopal research collective of M'Liha organised it.

Timezrit is known for the good quality of its citrus fruit, above all oranges and mandarins. On 28 and 29 December 2019, the commune held the 4th edition of its citrus festival, also called the orange festival, at the El Had primary school.

In honour of its spring, Toudja held a water festival called Tamaghra n'waman. The third edition took place in March 2012, and the eighth, in March 2017, was devoted to the beaches of the commune.