Sijilmasa
Encyclopedia
Sijilmasa was a medieval trade entrepôt
at the northern edge of the Sahara Desert in Morocco
. The ruins of the town lie along the River Ziz
in the Tafilalt
oasis near the town of Rissani
. The town's history was marked by several successive invasions by Amazigh dynasties during the Golden Age of Berber Islam. Up until the 14th century, it was, as the northern terminus for the western trans-Sahara trade route
, one of the most important trade centres in the Maghreb
during the "Golden Age" of the Berber dynasties.
Berber from Spain by the name of Abu 'l-Qasim Samgu bin Wasul al-Miknasi founded the town in or around the middle of the 8th century. The story al-Bakri relates says that others, probably Berbers, joined him in residence there, until they numbered around forty, at which point they laid the groundwork for the city. They elected a leader, ‘Isa bin Mazid the Black, to handle their affairs during the earliest first few years after the town’s establishment. However, he did not last long as a leader, and was blamed by his companions of corruption. He was summarily executed, and Abu al-Qasim became the leader of the town. According to Ibn Hawqal's account in Kitab Surat al-Ard, the city quickly grew in economic power due to shifting trade routes; previously, trade came into this area from Egypt, but harsh conditions made that route to sub-Saharan Africa and Morocco proper extremely difficult.
Sijilmassa's economic wealth is evidenced by Ibn Hawqal's incredible story about a bill issued to a trader in Awdaghust for forty-two thousand dinars from another merchant based out of Sijilmassa. Ibn Hawqal explains that he has never heard about a sum of money this large in all of his travels.
On account of its wealth, the city was able to assert its independence under the Midrarid dynasty, freeing itself from the Abbasid
Caliphate
as early as 771. Shifting alliances with the Caliphate of Córdoba and the Fatimids of Ifriqiya
destabilized the city during the 10th century, beginning with Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah
's visit to the city, the man who was later known as the founder of the Fatamid dynasty. 'Ubayed Allah, accompanied by his son al-Qasim, arrived in the Maghrib in 905. 'Ubayed Allah and his son made their way to Sijilmassa, fleeing persecution by the Abbasids, who found their Isma'ili Shi'ite beliefs not only unorthodox, but also threatening to the status quo of their caliphate. According to legend, ‘Ubayed Allah and his son were fulfilling a prophecy that the madhi would come from Mesopotamia
to Sijilmassa. They hid among the population of Sijilmassa for four years under the countenance of the Midrar rulers, specifically one Prince Yasa'.
Al-Qasim, the son of the alleged mahdi, with his miraculous powers, caused a spring to gush forth outside of the city. A Jewish Sijilmassan witnessed this, and spread the word throughout Sijilmassa that 'Ubayed Allah was going to attempt to take over the city. At or around the same time, Prince Yasa', the Midrarid ruler at the moment, received a letter from the Abbasids in Baghdad, warning him to close his frontiers and be wary of ‘Ubayed Allah. Yasa' was forced to imprison the men he had previously patronized, however ‘Ubayed Allah's servant managed to escape to Cairouan, which at the time was a stronghold for Isma’ilis. The leader of the Isma’ilis in Ifriqiya
was Abu ‘Abdallah: he quickly mustered an army to rescue his compatriot. On his way to Sijilmassa, he subdued Tahert
, the nearby Ibadi
Kharijite stronghold under the Rustamid
dynasty. The army arrived in the Tafilalt in the latter half of 909, and laid siege to the city. Yasa' was killed in that year or the next, and the Midrar dynasty began a long process of fragmentation that eventually resulted in a hostile takeover by former clients of the Cordoban caliphate, the Maghrawa Berbers.
Under the Maghrawa, who later declared independence from the Cordoban caliphate, the city retained its role as a trade centre, but became a center for Maghrawan government and the Maghrawa campaign against other tribes in Morocco proper. After 60 years of Maghrawa rule, the elders of Sijilmassa appealed to the Sanhaja
Berber confederation, which was just beginning its transformation into the Almoravid movement. According to al-Bakri, in 1055, Abdallah ibn Yasin, the spiritual leader of the Almoravid movement and his new Almoravid army arrived at Sijilmassa and killed the leader of the Maghrawa, Mas'ud ibn Wanudin al-Maghrawi. The Almoravid imposed an extremely strict interpretation of Islam, smashing music instruments and closing down wine shops throughout the city. While the city would rebel against the Almoravid garrison on more than one occasion, Sijilmassa became the Almoravid's first conquest and remained under their control until 1146, when the Almohad
dynasty took control of the city. During the Almoravid's rule, the city shared in the centralized governing structure of the Almoravid Empire.
When the Almohad took the city in the mid-12th century, they also took advantage of the wealth of trade going through Sijilmassa. However, the strict philosophy imposed by the Almoravid at the beginning of their reign of Sijilmassa was overshadowed by the extremely violent practices of the Almohad, which culminated in the massacre of many of the Jews living in Sijilmassa (presumably peacefully, under the Almoravid).
Amid the fall of the Almohad dynasty to the Zenata Berber confederation under the Marinid
, Sijilmassa once again played host to the latest Berber dynasty.
The Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta
stayed in Sijilmasa on his journey to visit the Mali Empire
in 1352-1353. He wrote: "I reached the city of Sijilmasa, a very beautiful city. It has abundant dates of good quality. The city of al-Basra is like it in the abundance of dates, but those of Sijilmasa are superior." Ibn Battuta also mentions Sijilmasa when describing the Chinese town of Quanzhou
: "In this city, as in all cities in China, men have orchards and fields and their houses in the middle, as they are in Siljimasa in our country. This is why their towns are so big."
The next mention of Sijilmasa in the extant sources is that of Leo Africanus
, who, travelling to Morocco in the early 16th century, goes to the Tafilalt oasis and finds Sijilmassa destroyed. He remarks on the "most stately and high walls", which were apparently still standing in some capacity. He goes on to say that the city is "gallantly builte" and that there were many stately temples and colleges in the city, and water wheels that drew water out of the river Ziz. Leo Africanus says that since it was destroyed, the inhabitants of Sijilmassa have, again, moved into outlying villages and castles; he stayed in this area for seven months, saying that it was temperate and pleasant. According to Leo Africanus, the city was destroyed when its last prince was assassinated by the citizens of Sijilmassa, after which the populace spread across the countryside. Ibn Khaldun says in his Muqaddimah that the city fell due to a lack of resources. Lightfoot and Miller cite several facts from their own findings on site: they say that oral tradition preserved by those in the Tafilalt says that the "Black Sultan", a malevolent dictator, was overthrown by the populace.
The city was rebuilt under the orders of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 18th century. It was conquered and destroyed - once again - by the nomadic tribes of Ait Atta
in 1818. Today, the ruins of Sijilmassa, laying a couple of km north of the town of Rissani
, are recognized by the World Monuments Fund
as an endangered site, and preserved by the Moroccan
Ministry of Culture
.
Entrepôt
An entrepôt is a trading post where merchandise can be imported and exported without paying import duties, often at a profit. This profit is possible because of trade conditions, for example, the reluctance of ships to travel the entire length of a long trading route, and selling to the entrepôt...
at the northern edge of the Sahara Desert in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The ruins of the town lie along the River Ziz
Ziz River
The Ziz River is a river in the south of Morocco and Algeria. It has its source in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco and flows into the Sahara Desert in Algeria...
in the Tafilalt
Tafilalt
Tafilalt or Tafilet is a region and the most important oasis of the Moroccan Sahara; it is also considered one of the largest oases in the world, the oasis is entirely located along the Ziz River. The oasis is ten days' journey south of Fez, across the Atlas Mountains...
oasis near the town of Rissani
Rissani
Rissani is a town in eastern Morocco, located near Erfoud. It is in the region of Er-Rachidia, and is the closest town of significant size to the Erg Chebbi, the largest sand desert in Morocco...
. The town's history was marked by several successive invasions by Amazigh dynasties during the Golden Age of Berber Islam. Up until the 14th century, it was, as the northern terminus for the western trans-Sahara trade route
Trans-Saharan trade
Trans-Saharan trade requires travel across the Sahara to reach sub-Saharan Africa. While existing from prehistoric times, the peak of trade extended from the 8th century until the late 16th century.- Increasing desertification and economic incentive :...
, one of the most important trade centres in the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
during the "Golden Age" of the Berber dynasties.
History
According to al-Bakri's Book of Routes and Places, a MiknasaMiknasa
The Miknasa were a Berber tribe in Morocco and western Algeria.The Miknasa Berbers originated in southern Tunisia, but migrated westwards into central Morocco and western Algeria in pre-Islamic times. The modern Moroccan city of Meknes bears witness to their presence.After defeat by the Muslims...
Berber from Spain by the name of Abu 'l-Qasim Samgu bin Wasul al-Miknasi founded the town in or around the middle of the 8th century. The story al-Bakri relates says that others, probably Berbers, joined him in residence there, until they numbered around forty, at which point they laid the groundwork for the city. They elected a leader, ‘Isa bin Mazid the Black, to handle their affairs during the earliest first few years after the town’s establishment. However, he did not last long as a leader, and was blamed by his companions of corruption. He was summarily executed, and Abu al-Qasim became the leader of the town. According to Ibn Hawqal's account in Kitab Surat al-Ard, the city quickly grew in economic power due to shifting trade routes; previously, trade came into this area from Egypt, but harsh conditions made that route to sub-Saharan Africa and Morocco proper extremely difficult.
Sijilmassa's economic wealth is evidenced by Ibn Hawqal's incredible story about a bill issued to a trader in Awdaghust for forty-two thousand dinars from another merchant based out of Sijilmassa. Ibn Hawqal explains that he has never heard about a sum of money this large in all of his travels.
On account of its wealth, the city was able to assert its independence under the Midrarid dynasty, freeing itself from the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
as early as 771. Shifting alliances with the Caliphate of Córdoba and the Fatimids of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
destabilized the city during the 10th century, beginning with Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah
Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah
Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah , often referred to as Ubayd Allah, is the founder of the Fatimid dynasty, the only major Shi'a caliphate in Islam, and established Fatimid rule throughout much of North Africa.- History :...
's visit to the city, the man who was later known as the founder of the Fatamid dynasty. 'Ubayed Allah, accompanied by his son al-Qasim, arrived in the Maghrib in 905. 'Ubayed Allah and his son made their way to Sijilmassa, fleeing persecution by the Abbasids, who found their Isma'ili Shi'ite beliefs not only unorthodox, but also threatening to the status quo of their caliphate. According to legend, ‘Ubayed Allah and his son were fulfilling a prophecy that the madhi would come from Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
to Sijilmassa. They hid among the population of Sijilmassa for four years under the countenance of the Midrar rulers, specifically one Prince Yasa'.
Al-Qasim, the son of the alleged mahdi, with his miraculous powers, caused a spring to gush forth outside of the city. A Jewish Sijilmassan witnessed this, and spread the word throughout Sijilmassa that 'Ubayed Allah was going to attempt to take over the city. At or around the same time, Prince Yasa', the Midrarid ruler at the moment, received a letter from the Abbasids in Baghdad, warning him to close his frontiers and be wary of ‘Ubayed Allah. Yasa' was forced to imprison the men he had previously patronized, however ‘Ubayed Allah's servant managed to escape to Cairouan, which at the time was a stronghold for Isma’ilis. The leader of the Isma’ilis in Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
was Abu ‘Abdallah: he quickly mustered an army to rescue his compatriot. On his way to Sijilmassa, he subdued Tahert
Tahert
Tiaret is a large town in the central Algeria, that gives its name to the wider farming region of 'Wilaya de Tiaret' province. Both the town and region lie south-west of the capital of Algiers in the western region of the central highlands, in the Tell Atlas, and about from the Mediterranean coast...
, the nearby Ibadi
Ibadi
The Ibāḍī movement, Ibadism or Ibāḍiyya is a form of Islam distinct from the Sunni and Shia denominations. It is the dominant form of Islam in Oman and Zanzibar...
Kharijite stronghold under the Rustamid
Rustamid
The Rustamid dynasty of Ibāḍī Kharijite imām that ruled the central Maghreb as a Muslim theocracy for a century and a half from their capital Tahert in present Algeria until the Ismailite Fatimid Caliphs destroyed it. The dynasty had a Persian origin...
dynasty. The army arrived in the Tafilalt in the latter half of 909, and laid siege to the city. Yasa' was killed in that year or the next, and the Midrar dynasty began a long process of fragmentation that eventually resulted in a hostile takeover by former clients of the Cordoban caliphate, the Maghrawa Berbers.
Under the Maghrawa, who later declared independence from the Cordoban caliphate, the city retained its role as a trade centre, but became a center for Maghrawan government and the Maghrawa campaign against other tribes in Morocco proper. After 60 years of Maghrawa rule, the elders of Sijilmassa appealed to the Sanhaja
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
Berber confederation, which was just beginning its transformation into the Almoravid movement. According to al-Bakri, in 1055, Abdallah ibn Yasin, the spiritual leader of the Almoravid movement and his new Almoravid army arrived at Sijilmassa and killed the leader of the Maghrawa, Mas'ud ibn Wanudin al-Maghrawi. The Almoravid imposed an extremely strict interpretation of Islam, smashing music instruments and closing down wine shops throughout the city. While the city would rebel against the Almoravid garrison on more than one occasion, Sijilmassa became the Almoravid's first conquest and remained under their control until 1146, when the Almohad
Almohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
dynasty took control of the city. During the Almoravid's rule, the city shared in the centralized governing structure of the Almoravid Empire.
When the Almohad took the city in the mid-12th century, they also took advantage of the wealth of trade going through Sijilmassa. However, the strict philosophy imposed by the Almoravid at the beginning of their reign of Sijilmassa was overshadowed by the extremely violent practices of the Almohad, which culminated in the massacre of many of the Jews living in Sijilmassa (presumably peacefully, under the Almoravid).
Amid the fall of the Almohad dynasty to the Zenata Berber confederation under the Marinid
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
, Sijilmassa once again played host to the latest Berber dynasty.
The Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
stayed in Sijilmasa on his journey to visit the Mali Empire
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
in 1352-1353. He wrote: "I reached the city of Sijilmasa, a very beautiful city. It has abundant dates of good quality. The city of al-Basra is like it in the abundance of dates, but those of Sijilmasa are superior." Ibn Battuta also mentions Sijilmasa when describing the Chinese town of Quanzhou
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...
: "In this city, as in all cities in China, men have orchards and fields and their houses in the middle, as they are in Siljimasa in our country. This is why their towns are so big."
The next mention of Sijilmasa in the extant sources is that of Leo Africanus
Leo Africanus
Joannes Leo Africanus, was a Moorish diplomat and author who is best known for his book Descrittione dell’Africa describing the geography of North Africa.-Biography:Most of what is known about his life is gathered from autobiographical...
, who, travelling to Morocco in the early 16th century, goes to the Tafilalt oasis and finds Sijilmassa destroyed. He remarks on the "most stately and high walls", which were apparently still standing in some capacity. He goes on to say that the city is "gallantly builte" and that there were many stately temples and colleges in the city, and water wheels that drew water out of the river Ziz. Leo Africanus says that since it was destroyed, the inhabitants of Sijilmassa have, again, moved into outlying villages and castles; he stayed in this area for seven months, saying that it was temperate and pleasant. According to Leo Africanus, the city was destroyed when its last prince was assassinated by the citizens of Sijilmassa, after which the populace spread across the countryside. Ibn Khaldun says in his Muqaddimah that the city fell due to a lack of resources. Lightfoot and Miller cite several facts from their own findings on site: they say that oral tradition preserved by those in the Tafilalt says that the "Black Sultan", a malevolent dictator, was overthrown by the populace.
The city was rebuilt under the orders of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 18th century. It was conquered and destroyed - once again - by the nomadic tribes of Ait Atta
Ait Atta
The Ait Atta are a large Berber tribal confederation of North eastern Morocco, estimated to number about 130,000 as of 1960. They are divided into "five fifths" , all said to descend from the forty sons of their common ancestor Dadda Atta: these "fifths" are the Ait Ouallal, Ait Ouahlim, Ait...
in 1818. Today, the ruins of Sijilmassa, laying a couple of km north of the town of Rissani
Rissani
Rissani is a town in eastern Morocco, located near Erfoud. It is in the region of Er-Rachidia, and is the closest town of significant size to the Erg Chebbi, the largest sand desert in Morocco...
, are recognized by the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
as an endangered site, and preserved by the Moroccan
Ministry of Culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
.