Queen Kahina led a decades long war against the Islamic conquest in the 7th century and built a castle here.

The French army reached Khenchela in 1850 after heavy fighting and strenuous resistance and set up a military administration.

In the process, farmers cleared a path for vegetation at the valley of Wadi Boughegal which in turn gave birth to natural grasslands, allowing cattle breeding and feeding the population with fresh dairy products.

In October 1905, the inauguration of the meter-gauge railway line from Aïn Beïda to Khenchela provided daily service with the north of the country.

It currently plays in the Ligue 1, the first tier of the Algerian football pyramid, and hosts its games in Amar Hamam Stadium.