All Topics  
Aghmat

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Aghmat
 
 
  Topics Aghmat Topic Home

Aghmat was an important medieval Berber
Berber people

Berbers are the indigenous ethnic groups of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are discontinuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River....
 town in southern Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
 which is today an archaeological site known as "Joumâa Aghmat". It is situated approximately 30 km east of Marrakech
Marrakech

Marrakesh or Marrakech , known as the "Red City", is an important city/Wiktionary:medina in Morocco. It has a population of 1,036,500 , and is the capital of the mid-southwestern economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz , near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains....
 on the Ourika
Ourika River

Ourika River is a river in Morocco, at . It rises in the High Atlas and flows through the Ourika Valley, 30 km from Marrakech. A number of interesting plants have been recorded in this valley beginning in the late 19th century including Fraxinus dimorpha....
 road. The initial "A" of the name may be unvocalized, and the name may sometimes be spelled "Ghmat" or even "Rhmate" (as it appears on Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide

The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term refers by default to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars....
).

According to a Berber legend
Berber mythology

Berber people beliefs or Amazigh beliefs are the beliefs of the indigenous Berber people of North Africa . These beliefs were influenced primarily by the beliefs of the Berbers' Egyptian neighbors, as well as by other people who lived in the area, such as Phoenicians, Jews, Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans....
, Aghmat was populated by Christian
Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
 Berbers when it was conquered by the Arab
Arab

An Arab is a person who Identity as such on linguistic or cultural grounds. The plural form, Arabs , refers to the Ethnocultural group at large....
 Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 conqueror of North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
 Uqba ibn Nafi
Uqba ibn Nafi

Uqba ibn Nafi was an Arab general under the Umayyad dynasty, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day western Algeria and Morocco in North Africa....
 in 683.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Aghmat'
Start a new discussion about 'Aghmat'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Aghmat was an important medieval Berber
Berber people

Berbers are the indigenous ethnic groups of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are discontinuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River....
 town in southern Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
 which is today an archaeological site known as "Joumâa Aghmat". It is situated approximately 30 km east of Marrakech
Marrakech

Marrakesh or Marrakech , known as the "Red City", is an important city/Wiktionary:medina in Morocco. It has a population of 1,036,500 , and is the capital of the mid-southwestern economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz , near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains....
 on the Ourika
Ourika River

Ourika River is a river in Morocco, at . It rises in the High Atlas and flows through the Ourika Valley, 30 km from Marrakech. A number of interesting plants have been recorded in this valley beginning in the late 19th century including Fraxinus dimorpha....
 road. The initial "A" of the name may be unvocalized, and the name may sometimes be spelled "Ghmat" or even "Rhmate" (as it appears on Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide

The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term refers by default to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars....
).

According to a Berber legend
Berber mythology

Berber people beliefs or Amazigh beliefs are the beliefs of the indigenous Berber people of North Africa . These beliefs were influenced primarily by the beliefs of the Berbers' Egyptian neighbors, as well as by other people who lived in the area, such as Phoenicians, Jews, Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans....
, Aghmat was populated by Christian
Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
 Berbers when it was conquered by the Arab
Arab

An Arab is a person who Identity as such on linguistic or cultural grounds. The plural form, Arabs , refers to the Ethnocultural group at large....
 Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 conqueror of North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
 Uqba ibn Nafi
Uqba ibn Nafi

Uqba ibn Nafi was an Arab general under the Umayyad dynasty, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day western Algeria and Morocco in North Africa....
 in 683. However, this story first surfaces almost 700 years after that date, and many historians give it no credibility. It is directly contradicted by one of the earliest Arab historians, al-Baladhuri
Ahmad Ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri

Ahmad Ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri Arabic was an 9th century Persian people historian. One of the eminent middle-eastern historians of his age , he spent most of his life in Baghdad and enjoyed great influence at the court of the caliph al-Mutawakkil....
 who states that Musa bin Nusair
Musa bin Nusair

Musa bin Nusair also Musa ben Nusair or Musa Ibn Nusayr was a Syrian Muslim who served as a governor and general under the Umayyad Al-Walid I....
 conquered the Sous
Sous

The Sous or Souss is a region in southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Oued Sous , separated from the Sahara by the Anti-Atlas mountains....
 and erected the mosque at Aghmat.

Early history

After the death of Idris II
Idris II

Idris II was son of Idris I, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty in North Africa. He was born in Volubilis two months after the death of his father....
 in 828, Morocco was divided among his sons. Aghmat became capital of the Sous region
Sous

The Sous or Souss is a region in southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Oued Sous , separated from the Sahara by the Anti-Atlas mountains....
 under the Idrisid
Idrisid

The Idrisids were Arab Shia dynasty in the western Maghreb ruling from 788 to 985, named after its first sultan, Idriss I....
 prince Abd Allah .

When the Almoravids invaded from the Sahara Desert under Abd Allah ibn Yasin
Ibn Yasin

Abdallah Ibn Yasin was a theologian and founder of the Almoravid dynasty movement and dynasty of North African rulers and later Iberian Peninsula....
, Aghmat was defended by Laqut, leader of the Maghrawa
Maghrawa

The Magrawa were a Berber people tribe in Morocco and central and western Algeria....
 tribe. Laqut was defeated and the Almoravid army entered the city on 23 Rabi II
Rabi' al-thani

Rabi? al-Thani is the fourth month in the Islamic Calendar. It is also known as Rabi`-ul-Akhir ....
 450 (27 June 1058). One of the wealthiest of Aghmat's citizens was Laqut's widow, Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat
Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat

Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat , a Berber people woman of influence in the early Almoravid movement which gained control of Morocco, Algeria and parts of Spain....
, who married the Almoravid leader Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar
Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar

Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar was an Almoravid dynasty ruler. He was appointed General of the Almoravid movement by its leader Abdallah ibn Yasin on the death of his brother Yahya ibn Ibrahim in 1056 ....
 and placed her considerable wealth at his disposal. After Abu-Bakr
Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar

Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar was an Almoravid dynasty ruler. He was appointed General of the Almoravid movement by its leader Abdallah ibn Yasin on the death of his brother Yahya ibn Ibrahim in 1056 ....
 returned to the Sahara Desert in 1071, Zaynab married his successor Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusuf ibn Tashfin

Yusuf ibn Tashfin or Tashafin was an ethnic Berber people and Almoravid dynasty ruler in North Africa and Al-Andalus ....
.

By 1068/1069, the population of the city had grown considerably, and Abu-Bakr
Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar

Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar was an Almoravid dynasty ruler. He was appointed General of the Almoravid movement by its leader Abdallah ibn Yasin on the death of his brother Yahya ibn Ibrahim in 1056 ....
 decided to construct a new capital. He founded Marrakech
Marrakech

Marrakesh or Marrakech , known as the "Red City", is an important city/Wiktionary:medina in Morocco. It has a population of 1,036,500 , and is the capital of the mid-southwestern economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz , near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains....
 in 1070, after which Aghmat declined. The Almoravids continued to use it as a convenient backwater in which to exile people. These included Abbad III
Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid

Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid , was the third and last ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus from the Abbadid dynasty.After the death of his father Abbad II al-Mu'tadid in 1069, he inherited Seville....
, sometime king of Seville and Córdoba and noted poet. His tomb remains a place of pilgrimage to this day.

In the years 1126, 1127 and again in 1130, the city saw a number of battles between the Almoravid sultan Ali ibn Yusuf
Ali ibn Yusuf

Ali ibn Yusuf was an Almoravid dynasty ruler in North Africa and Al-Andalus who was an ethnic Berber people, reigned 1106–1142....
 and the Almohad army led by Ibn Tumart
Ibn Tumart

Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Tumart , was a Berber people religion scholar, teacher and later a political leader from the Masmuda tribe who spiritually founded the Berber Almohad dynasty....
 and Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min

Abd al-Mu'min was the first Amir of the Almohad Empire. Abd al-Mu'min was a member of the group of Masmuda Berber people living in the Atlas Mountains....
. Following a general rout of Almoravid forces throughout Morocco and Algeria, Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min

Abd al-Mu'min was the first Amir of the Almohad Empire. Abd al-Mu'min was a member of the group of Masmuda Berber people living in the Atlas Mountains....
 entered Aghmat without a fight on the middle day of Muharram
Muharram

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar....
 541 (27 June 1146).

Beaumier, writing in 1860, stated the town still had a population of 5500, of whom 1000 were Jews.

Earlier economy

Al Bakri
Abu Abdullah al-Bakri

was a Spain-Arab geographer and historian. He was born in Huelva, the son of the governor of the province. Al-Bakri spent his entire life in Spain, living in Cordoba, Spain, and never travelled to the locations of which he wrote....
, writing in the 11th century on the eve of the Almoravid rise to power, described Aghmat as a flourishing city where 100 cattle and 1000 sheep were slaughtered for sale in the Sunday souk
Souk

A souq is a commercial quarter in an Arab or Berber city. The term is often used to designate the market in any Arabized or Muslim city. It may also refer to the weekly market in some smaller towns where neutrality from tribal conflicts would be declared to permit the exchange of surplus goods....
 (market). The inhabitants elected their own leader. Strictly speaking there were two Aghmats: the commercial and political center was known as "Aghmat Wurika", and 8 miles distant from that was "Aghmat Aylan" which was closed to outsiders. . The town was served by the seaport of Quz
Souira Guedima

Souira Guedima, formerly known as Aguz, is a Morocco town 36 km south of Safi, Morocco, at the mouth of the Tensift River on the Atlantic seacoast....
 on the Atlantic coast
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
 three days journey west.

Modern history

On 18 November 1950, during the French occupation of Morocco
French Morocco

French protectorate of Morocco was a France protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish Morocco....
, a group of Moroccan nationalists associated with the Istiqlal
Istiqlal

Istiqlal means independence. It may refer to:*Istiqlal Party, a political party of Morocco.*Hizb al-Istiqlal, a Palestinian nationalist party in the British Mandate of Palestine....
 party held a demonstration at the tomb of Abbad III
Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid

Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid , was the third and last ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus from the Abbadid dynasty.After the death of his father Abbad II al-Mu'tadid in 1069, he inherited Seville....
. This was brutally suppressed by police acting under orders from Boujane, the caïd
CAID

Caid may refer to:* Caid , a type of governorship found in North Africa and Moorish Spain* Caid , a form of football popular in Ireland until the mid-19th century...
 of the local Mesfioua tribe. Subsequent actions became one of the major irritants between Boujane's superior, the powerful Pasha
Pasha

Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors and generals....
 of Marrakech T'hami El Glaoui
T'hami El Glaoui

El Haj T'hami el Mezouari el Glaoui is better known in English-speaking countries as T'hami El Glaoui or Lord of the Atlas. Ca?d of the Glaoua or Aglawou tribe of Southern Morocco, based at the Kasbah of Telouet in the High Atlas and at Marrakech....
, and the King of Morocco Mohammed V
Mohammed V of Morocco

Mohammed V was Sultan of Morocco of Morocco from 1927 to 1953, exiled from 1953-55, where he was again recognized as Sultan upon his return, and King of Morocco from 1957 to 1961....
, which eventually led to the king's removal.

The archaeological ruins visible today consist of part of the city walls, hammam
Hammam

The Turkish bath is the Middle Eastern variant of a steam bath, which can be categorized as a wet relative of the sauna. The Turkish baths have played an important role in cultures of the Middle-East, serving as places of social gathering, ritual cleansing, and as architectural structures, institutions, and elements with special c...
, parts of some houses and qanat
Qanat

A qanat or Kariz is a water management system used to provide a reliable supply of water to human settlements or for irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates....
s (irrigation canals), and some hundred metres or so of the city ramparts.

The tomb of Abbad III
Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid

Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid , was the third and last ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus from the Abbadid dynasty.After the death of his father Abbad II al-Mu'tadid in 1069, he inherited Seville....
 is marked by a modern mausoleum erected in 1970 with a cupola
Cupola

File:Faneuil Hall Boston Massachusetts.JPGIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like structure, on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
 in the Almoravid style.

External links