9th century – 11th century
Sahara, North Africa
Isedraten, also called Sadrāta in the excerpt, was a refuge town established by Ibāḍites expelled from Tähert after the Fāṭimid victory at the beginning of the tenth century. It occupied a hostile Saharan environment and did not survive for long, being abandoned during the eleventh century. Its history illustrates the interaction between political displacement and the development of Saharan staging centres.
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The Story
Isedraten emerged from a political upheaval rather than from a purely commercial foundation. When the Fāṭimid victory at the beginning of the tenth century displaced the Ibāḍites from Tähert, the community sought refuge in this Saharan town. Its creation linked the history of religious-political migration with the network of settlements that supported movement across the desert.
The town occupied an environment described as hostile, and its survival was brief. Although Isedraten formed part of the wider geography of Saharan relations, the conditions that sustained it were insufficient for long-term continuity. The settlement was abandoned during the eleventh century.
Isedraten’s significance lies in the way it reveals the fragility of desert urbanism. Saharan towns could become centres of refuge and transit, yet their existence depended on difficult environmental conditions and shifting political circumstances. Its short history contrasts with the longer prosperity later attributed to the Mzāb and Wargla.
9th century – 11th century
Sahara, North Africa
Isedraten, also called Sadrāta in the excerpt, was a refuge town established by Ibāḍites expelled from Tähert after the Fāṭimid victory at the beginning of the tenth century. It occupied a hostile Saharan environment and did not survive for long, being abandoned during the eleventh century. Its history illustrates the interaction between political displacement and the development of Saharan staging centres.
Continue exploring
The Story
Isedraten emerged from a political upheaval rather than from a purely commercial foundation. When the Fāṭimid victory at the beginning of the tenth century displaced the Ibāḍites from Tähert, the community sought refuge in this Saharan town. Its creation linked the history of religious-political migration with the network of settlements that supported movement across the desert.
The town occupied an environment described as hostile, and its survival was brief. Although Isedraten formed part of the wider geography of Saharan relations, the conditions that sustained it were insufficient for long-term continuity. The settlement was abandoned during the eleventh century.
Isedraten’s significance lies in the way it reveals the fragility of desert urbanism. Saharan towns could become centres of refuge and transit, yet their existence depended on difficult environmental conditions and shifting political circumstances. Its short history contrasts with the longer prosperity later attributed to the Mzāb and Wargla.
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