town, northwestern Algeria, on the northern edge of the Hauts Plateaux, 8 miles (13 km) east of the Moroccan border. The modern town grew around a French redoubt built in 1844 on the site of the Roman post of Numerus Syrorum. It was named for the local Muslim saint Lalla Maghnia and contains her mausoleum, probably built in the 18th century. Located within the watershed of Wadi Tafna, Maghnia is a busy agricultural centre, trading in cereals and wool from both Algeria and Morocco. There is a lead mine at Bou Beker, 18 miles (29 km) south in the Tell Atlas, and a noted mineral spring, Hammam Boughrara, 6 miles (10 km) to the northeast. Pop. (1998 prelim.) 73,274.