A city established as the new Almoravid capital in 1070 and retained as the political centre of the Almohads after their conquest of Morocco. Its development reflects the transition of Almoravid power from a nomadic Saharan movement to an imperial state and the later ideological remaking of the capital by the Almohads.
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The Story
Marrakesh was established in 1070 on the initiative of Abu Bakr ibn Umar, who sought a capital less exposed to the urban environment of Aghmat. The new city retained the appearance of a Saharan town for a long time, reflecting the Almoravid movement's origins among nomadic Sanhaja communities. Its foundation marked the institutional transition from a desert coalition to a state ruling southern Morocco and expanding beyond it.
Marrakesh stood close enough to the Sahara to preserve contacts with the Sanhaja and the trans-Saharan trade. At the same time, it became the centre of an empire whose wealth drew on Sudanese gold and whose administration and architecture were increasingly influenced by al-Andalus. The city's position linked the political authority of the Almoravids with commercial routes and a growing urban culture.
The Almohads conquered Marrakesh in 1146–47 after defeating Almoravid forces and capturing the Almoravid ruler Tashfin ibn Ali. Resistance continued among Berber groups of the Atlantic plains, but the city's fall marked the decisive transfer of power. Abd al-Mu'min chose to retain Marrakesh as the Almohad capital because the movement's power base also lay in southern Morocco.
The Almohads sought to purify the city of sanctuaries they regarded as belonging to unbelievers. They destroyed many Almoravid religious buildings and the Almoravid palace, and the Kutubiyya mosque was later constructed on the palace site. Marrakesh therefore became both the administrative capital of the new dynasty and a stage for the symbolic replacement of Almoravid religious authority.
A city established as the new Almoravid capital in 1070 and retained as the political centre of the Almohads after their conquest of Morocco. Its development reflects the transition of Almoravid power from a nomadic Saharan movement to an imperial state and the later ideological remaking of the capital by the Almohads.
Continue exploring
The Story
Marrakesh was established in 1070 on the initiative of Abu Bakr ibn Umar, who sought a capital less exposed to the urban environment of Aghmat. The new city retained the appearance of a Saharan town for a long time, reflecting the Almoravid movement's origins among nomadic Sanhaja communities. Its foundation marked the institutional transition from a desert coalition to a state ruling southern Morocco and expanding beyond it.
Marrakesh stood close enough to the Sahara to preserve contacts with the Sanhaja and the trans-Saharan trade. At the same time, it became the centre of an empire whose wealth drew on Sudanese gold and whose administration and architecture were increasingly influenced by al-Andalus. The city's position linked the political authority of the Almoravids with commercial routes and a growing urban culture.
The Almohads conquered Marrakesh in 1146–47 after defeating Almoravid forces and capturing the Almoravid ruler Tashfin ibn Ali. Resistance continued among Berber groups of the Atlantic plains, but the city's fall marked the decisive transfer of power. Abd al-Mu'min chose to retain Marrakesh as the Almohad capital because the movement's power base also lay in southern Morocco.
The Almohads sought to purify the city of sanctuaries they regarded as belonging to unbelievers. They destroyed many Almoravid religious buildings and the Almoravid palace, and the Kutubiyya mosque was later constructed on the palace site. Marrakesh therefore became both the administrative capital of the new dynasty and a stage for the symbolic replacement of Almoravid religious authority.
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