Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Lord of the Atlas, Thami El Glaoui
Moments in History
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Founding of Marrakech
provincial outpost after they
chose the northerly city of Fès
as their power base.
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The Saadians
The Almoravids, the most
powerful Berber tribe,
founded the military
outpost of Marra
Kouch in 1062, giving
them control of the
Saharan trade routes.
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The Almohads
return the
throne to Marrakech
Prosperity returned to
Marrakech under the
Saadians who over-
threw the Merenids
in 1549. This Arabian
dynasty expanded
their territory across
the Sahara to Mali
and Mauritania.
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Mad Moulay Ismail
take Marrakech
The Almohads lay
siege to Marrakech in
1147 and the city
changed hands. Their
impressive monu-
ments, including the
Koutoubia Mosque, dominate
Marrakech to this day.
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Decline under
Portrait of King Mohammed V
The Saadians were swept
aside by the Alouites in 1668.
Their second ruler, Moulay Ismail
reigned for 55 years, personally
killing 30,000 people. Alouite
descendants are still in power.
^
The Sultan of Spliff
the Merenids
The Merenids took the city in
1269 from the Almohads, emerg-
ing from the Tafilelt Oasis, which
is near present-day Algeria.
During their rule, Marrakech was
sidelined and reduced to a
Moulay Hassan, the last
Moroccan sultan with any real
power, ruled from
1873-94 and legalised
cannabis cultivation.
The Rif region is
probably the world's
largest cannabis
cultivator today.
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Imposition of
French rule
The lynching of
Europeans in
Casablanca gave
France an excuse to
act on their territorial
The mosque at Tin Mal, built by the Almohads
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Preceding pages
Menara Gardens
