Moulay Ismail Ben Sharif, born around 1645 in Sijilmassa and died on 22 March 1727 at Meknes, was a Sultan of Morocco from 1672–1727, as the second ruler of the Alaouite dynasty. He was the seventh son of Moulay Sharif and was governor of the Kingdom of Fez and the north of Morocco from 1667 until the death of his half-brother, Sultan Moulay Rashid in 1672. He was proclaimed sultan at Fez, but spent several years in conflict with his nephew Moulay Ahmed ben Mehrez, who also claimed the throne, until the latter's death in 1687. Moulay Ismail's 55-year reign is the longest of any sultan of Morocco.
Ksar or qsar, plural ksars, qsars, ksour or qsour, is the North African term for "fortified village," from Arabic qaṣar (قَصَر), itself possibly loaned from Latin castrum. The term generally refers to a Berber fortified village.
Ouarzazate, nicknamed the door of the desert, is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet, south-central Morocco. Ouarzazate is at an elevation of 1,160 metres (3,810 ft) in the middle of a bare plateau south of the High Atlas Mountains, with a desert to the city's south.
The Alaouite dynasty – also rendered in English as 'Alawi, 'Alawid, or Alawite – is the current Moroccan royal family and reigning dynasty. They are a sharifian dynasty and claim descent from the prophet Muhammad through one of his relatives.
Kenitra is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou river, has a population in 2014 of 431,282, is one of the three main cities of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the capital of the Kenitra Province. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S. Naval Air Facility served as a stopping point in North Africa.
Hassan I of Morocco was the sultan of Morocco from 1873 to 1894. He was the son of Mohammed IV.
Settat is a city in Morocco between the national capital Rabat and Marrakesh. Settat is located 83.9 km by road south of the centre of Casablanca, roughly an hour's drive. It is the capital of Settat Province and is its largest city in both size and population. According to the 2014 Moroccan census, it had a population of 250,000 people, up from 116,570 people in the 2004 census. Settat is 370m above sea level, built on a plateau surrounded by foothills in all directions. The antiquities of Settat include the very old Ismailiya Kasbah distinguished by the statue of a steed which lies at the center of the city.
Telouet Kasbah is a Kasbah along the former route of the caravans from the Sahara over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. The kasbah was the seat of the El Glaoui family's power, thus sometimes also called the Palace of Glaoui. Its construction started in 1860 and it was further expanded in later years. The palace can still be visited but it is steadily becoming more damaged and is slowly collapsing. In 2010, work was underway to restore the property.
Aït Benhaddou is a historic ighrem or ksar along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Thami El Glaoui, known in English as Lord of the Atlas, was the Pasha of Marrakesh from 1912 to 1956. His family name was el Mezouari, from a title given an ancestor by Ismail Ibn Sharif in 1700, while El Glaoui refers to his chieftainship of the Glaoua (Glawa) tribe of the Berbers of southern Morocco, based at the Kasbah of Telouet in the High Atlas and at Marrakesh. El Glaoui became head of the Glaoua upon the death of his elder brother, Si el-Madani, and as an ally of the French protectorate in Morocco, conspired with them in the overthrow of Sultan Mohammed V.
The Draa is Morocco's longest river, at 1,100 kilometres (680 mi). It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini River. It flows from the High Atlas mountains, initially south-eastward to Tagounite, and from Tagounite mostly westwards to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean somewhat north of Tan-Tan. In 1971, the (El) Mansour Eddahabi dam was constructed to service the regional capital of Ouarzazate and to regulate the flow of the Draa. Most of the year the part of the Draa after Tagounite falls dry.
Tagmadert is a city in the Draa River valley in Morocco. It is the place of origin of the members of the Saadi Dynasty. Despite the fact that Tagmadert is indicated on most older European maps, there is some uncertainty about its exact location. According to Charles de Foucauld its location was identical to present-day Fezouata, the district directly north of the Ktawa, including the village of Tamegroute. There is a description of Tagmadert by the 17th century traveller Marmol. The name seems to have referred to both a district and a town.
Ahmed al-Hiba, was a leader of an armed resistance to the French colonial power in southern Morocco, and pretender to the sultanate of Morocco. In English texts he is usually named simply El Hiba. In addition to his revolutionary activity, Ahmed al-Hiba was a prolific poet.
The ZaianWar was fought between France and the Zaian confederation of Berber tribes in Morocco between 1914 and 1921 during the French conquest of Morocco. Morocco had become a French protectorate in 1912, and Resident-General Louis-Hubert Lyautey sought to extend French influence eastwards through the Middle Atlas mountains towards French Algeria. This was opposed by the Zaians, led by Mouha ou Hammou Zayani. The war began well for the French, who quickly took the key towns of Taza and Khénifra. Despite the loss of their base at Khénifra, the Zaians inflicted heavy losses on the French, who responded by establishing groupes mobiles, combined arms formations that mixed regular and irregular infantry, cavalry and artillery into a single force.
Skoura is a town in Ouarzazate Province, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco. It consists of a modern town as well as a historical oasis and palmeraie with traditional rammed-earth architecture.
Moha ou Said El Wirrawi was a Moroccan tribal leader who opposed French rule of the protectorate of Morocco. He formerly served as a caïd of the Moroccan sultans and fought for Sultan Abdelaziz against Bou Hmara in 1905. After Treaty of Fes and the start of the French protectorate he opposed the French through military action. He participated in several battles with French forces in the Zaian War but was eventually forced into the High Atlas mountains where he died in action in 1924. His followers continued to resist the French over the next ten years.
Dar-al-Makhzen is the primary and official residence of the king of Morocco. It is situated in the Touarga commune of Rabat, the national capital. Its official name is the El Mechouar Essaid Palace, which means the venue of happiness palace.
The Campaign of Tlemcen or Tlemcen campaign was a military operation led by the Saadians of Mohammed ash-Sheikh against Tlemcen in 1557, then under the domination of the Regency of Algiers, a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. The Saadians captured part of the city, but failed to seize the Mechouar Palace, into which a Turkish garrison from Algiers had withdrawn. Mohammed ash-Sheikh puts an end to his campaign when he learns of a revolt by the Berbers of the Moroccan Atlas against his authority.
Kasbah Amridil is a historic fortified residence or kasbah in the oasis of Skoura, in Morocco. It is considered among the most impressive kasbahs of its kind in Morocco and was previously featured on the Moroccan 50 dirham note.
Kasbah Taourirt is a historic fortified residence complex or kasbah in Ouarzazate, Morocco.
Morocco 