Almoravid dynasty

Morocco, 1040–1147. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Almoravid dynasty was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. During their expansion into the Maghreb, they founded the city of Marrakesh as a capital around 1070. The Almoravids expanded their control to al-Andalus and were crucial in temporarily halting the advance of the Christian kingdoms in this region, with the Battle of Sagrajas in 1086 among their signature victories. The last Almoravid ruler, Ishaq ibn Ali, was killed when the Almohads captured Marrakesh in 1147.

Seat of power: Azougui

No rulers documented for this era yet.

Culture

• Their rulers never claimed the title of caliph and instead took on the title of Amir al-Muslimīn, which means Prince of the Muslims.
• The Almoravid period also contributed significantly to the Islamization of the Sahara region and to the urbanization of the western Maghreb.
• Their movement was motivated by a reformist Islamic ideology, preached by their early religious leader Abdallah ibn Yasin, which sought to forcibly impose a rigorist and orthodox Maliki Sunni Islam on the world around them.

Picture

The Almoravid Qubba is a small monument in Marrakesh that was erected by the Almoravid dynasty in the early 12th century.

Image: R Prazeres, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Sources

• Almoravid dynasty (Wikipedia)
• Almoravid dynasty (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.