AghlabidsThe Aghlabids (الأغالبة) were an Arab dynasty from the tribe of Banu Tamim, who ruled Ifriqiya and parts of Southern Italy, Sicily, and possibly Sardinia, nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a century, until they were overthrown by the new power of the Fatimids. In 800, the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid appointed Ibrahim I ibn al-Aghlab, son of a Khurasanian Arab commander from the Banu Tamim tribe, as hereditary Emir of Ifriqiya, in response to the anarchy that had reigned in that province following the fall of the Muhallabids.
TangierTangier (tænˈdʒɪər ; Ṭanjah; ⵟⴰⵏⵊⴰ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Morocco. Many civilisations and cultures have influenced the history of Tangier, starting from before the 10th century BCE. Starting as a strategic Phoenician town and trading centre, Tangier has been a nexus for many cultures.
Zawiya (institution)A zawiya or zaouia (زاوية; zaviye; also spelled zawiyah or zawiyya) is a building and institution associated with Sufis in the Islamic world. It can serve a variety of functions such a place of worship, school, monastery and/or mausoleum. In some regions the term is interchangeable with the term khanqah, which serves a similar purpose. In the Maghreb, the term is often used for a place where the founder of a Sufi order or a local saint or holy man (e.g. a wali) lived and was buried.
History of MoroccoThe history of human habitation in Morocco spans since the Lower Paleolithic, with the earliest known being Jebel Irhoud. Much later Morocco was part of Iberomaurusian culture, including Taforalt. It dates from the establishment of Mauretania and other ancient Berber kingdoms, to the establishment of the Moroccan state by the Idrisid dynasty followed by other Islamic dynasties, through to the colonial and independence periods. Archaeological evidence has shown that the area was inhabited by hominids at least 400,000 years ago.
SayyidSayyid (UKsaɪɪd,_ˈseɪjɪd, USˈsɑːjɪd; سيد ˈsæjjɪd; sejˈjed; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: سادة sādah; feminine: سيدة ALA; sejˈjede) is an honorific surname of Muslims recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhammad's daughter Fatima and his cousin and son-in-law Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib). A few Arabic language experts state that it has its roots in the word al-asad الأسد, meaning "lion", probably because of the qualities of valour and leadership.
History of AlgeriaMuch of the history of Algeria has taken place on the fertile coastal plain of North Africa, which is often called the Maghreb (or Maghreb). North Africa served as a transit region for people moving towards Europe or the Middle East, thus, the region's inhabitants have been influenced by populations from other areas, including the Carthaginians, Romans, and Vandals. The region was conquered by the Muslims in the early 8th century AD, but broke off from the Umayyad Caliphate after the Berber Revolt of 740.
ChellahThe Chellah or Shalla (Sla or Calla; شالة), is a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis and ancient archeological site in Rabat, Morocco, located on the south (left) side of the Bou Regreg estuary. The earliest evidence of the site's occupation suggests that the Phoenicians established a trading emporium here in the first millennium BC. This was later the site of Sala Colonia, an ancient Roman colony in the province of Mauretania Tingitana, before it was abandoned in Late Antiquity.
Ali ibn UmarAli ibn Umar (علي بن عمر) was the seventh Idrisid ruler of Morocco. Ali was a son of Umar, a younger son of the second Idrisid ruler, Idris II (808-828). Upon the death of Idris II, his father, Umar ibn Idris, had received rule over the Sanhaja and of the Ghumara Berbers, and was later rewarded with rule over Tangier for suppressing the revolts of two of his brothers, al-Qasim and Isa. Umar died in September/October 835, and Ali was confirmed in full possession of his father's domains by Emir Muhammad ibn Idris.
Fatimid dynastyThe Fatimid dynasty (الفاطميون) was an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty of Arab descent that ruled an extensive empire, the Fatimid Caliphate, between 909 and 1171 CE. Claiming descent from Fatima and Ali, they also held the Isma'ili imamate, claiming to be the rightful leaders of the Muslim community. The line of Nizari Isma'ili imams, represented today by the Aga Khans, claims descent from a branch of the Fatimids. The Alavi Bohras, predominantly based in Vadodara (Baroda) also descend from the branch of the Fatimids.
SefrouSefrou is a city in central Morocco situated in the Fès-Meknès region. It recorded a population of 79,887 in the 2014 Moroccan census, up from 63,872 in the 2004 census. Sefrou is known for its historical Jewish population, and its annual cherry festival. Sefrou was named for the Ahel Sefrou, a Berber tribe that once inhabited the area. Sefrou's name might be brought from the berber name "Asfru" (ⴰⵙⴼⵔⵓ) which means "the solution" (in Morocco). Sefrou was once home to one of the largest settlements of Moroccan Jews, the population estimated to have been as high as 8,000.
