Marrakesh

Type Object Region North Africa Time c. 1147–1269

Marrakesh is a historic Moroccan city made the imperial capital by the Almohad dynasty in the 12th century, famed for its red walls and Koutoubia Mos…

Timeline

1147–1150Marrakesh · MoroccoAlmohad founder Abd al-Mu'min captured Marrakesh in 1147 and made it the imperial capital, greatly expanding the walls and palaces and building the Koutoubia Mosque; the city became the political and religious center of an Islamic empire spanning the Maghreb and al-Andalus.
c. 1210–1220Marrakesh · MoroccoAt the height of the Almohad Empire in the early 13th century, Marrakesh served as the northern hub of the Sahara gold and salt trade, with bustling markets and crafts; Andalusian artisans contributed to urban construction, and the city reached the peak of North African Islamic urban achievement in religious architecture, irrigation, and city planning.

Sources

The Almohads: The Rise of an Islamic Empire — Amira K. Bennison (2009)
Islamic Architecture in North Africa and Spain — George Marçais