Arabic:سجلماسة | |
 Sijilmasa ruins | |
  Shown within Morocco | |
| Location | Rissani,Drâa-Tafilalet,Morocco |
|---|---|
| Region | Errachidia |
| Coordinates | 31°17′N4°17′W / 31.28°N 4.28°W /31.28; -4.28 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | 757 A.D.[1] |
| Abandoned | 1393 A.D. |
| Cultures | Berber,Arab |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1988–1996[2] |
| Archaeologists | World Monuments Fund |
| Ownership | Moroccan Ministry of Culture |
Sijilmasa (Arabic:سجلماسة; also transliteratedSijilmassa,Sidjilmasa,Sidjilmassa andSigilmassa) was amedieval Moroccan city and tradeentrepôt at the northern edge of theSahara inMorocco. The ruins of the town extend for five miles along theRiver Ziz in theTafilalt oasis near the town ofRissani. The town's history was marked by several successive invasions byBerberdynasties. Up until the 14th century, as the northern terminus for the westerntrans-Sahara trade route, it was one of the most important trade centres in theMaghreb during theMiddle Ages.[3]
According toal-Bakri'sBook of Routes and Places,Sufrite Kharijites first settled the town in the wake of theBerber revolts against the Umayyads.[4] Al-Bakri recounts that others joined these early settlers there, until they numbered around four thousand, at which point they laid the groundwork for the city. They elected a leader, 'Isa bin Mazid al-Aswad (the Black), to handle their affairs during the earliest first few years after the town's establishment. However, after ruling for 14 years, he was accused by his companions of corruption and executed. Abu al-Qasim Samgu bin Wasul al-Miknasi, chief of a branch of theMiknasa tribe, became the leader of the town. This Abu al-Qasim and his descendants are known as theMidrar dynasty.[citation needed]
The Arab geographerIbn Hawqal visited Spain and theMaghreb between 947 and 951 A.D.[5] According to the account in hisKitab Surat al-Ard, completed around 988 AD, Sijilmasa grew in economic power due to shifting trade routes. At one time trade between Egypt and theGhana Empire took a direct route across the desert, but because of the harsh conditions, this route was abandoned. Instead caravans passed through the Maghreb to Sijilmasa, then headed south across the Sahara.[6] Sijilmasa's economic wealth is evidenced by Ibn Hawqal's story about a bill issued to a trader inAwdaghust for forty-two thousanddinars from another merchant based out of Sijilmasa. Ibn Hawqal explains that he has never heard of such a large sum of money in all of his travels.[7][8] Not only was Ibn Hawqal impressed with the volume of trade with the Maghrib and Egypt,Al-Masudi noted gold from Sudan was minted here.[9]
On account of its wealth, the city was able to assert its independence under the Midrarid dynasty, freeing itself from theAbbasidCaliphate as early as 771. Shifting alliances with theCaliphate of Córdoba and theFatimids ofIfriqiya destabilized the city during the 10th century, beginning withAbd Allah al-Mahdi Billah's visit to the city, the man who was later known as the founder of theFatimid dynasty. 'Abd Allah, accompanied by his sonal-Qa'im, arrived in the Maghreb in 905. 'Abd Allah and his son made their way to Sijilmasa, fleeing persecution by the Abbasids, who not only belonged to theIsma'iliShi'ite interpretations, but also threatened the status quo of Abbasid caliphate. According to legend, 'Abd Allah and his son fulfilled a prophecy that themadhi would come fromMesopotamia to Sijilmasa. They hid among the population of Sijilmasa for four years under the countenance of the Midrar rulers, specifically one Prince Yasa'.[citation needed]
Al-Qasim, the son of 'Abd Allah, had miraculous powers and caused a spring to gush forth outside of the city. A Jewish resident of the city witnessed this, and spread the word throughout Sijilmasa that 'Abd Allah was going to attempt to take over the city. At or around the same time, Prince Yasa', the Midrarid ruler, received a letter from the Abbasids in Baghdad, warning him to close his frontiers and be wary of 'Abd Allah. Yasa' was forced to imprison the men he had previously patronized. 'Abd Allah's servant escaped toKairouan, which at the time was a stronghold for Isma'ilis. The leader of the Isma'ilis inIfriqiya was Abu 'Abdallah; he quickly mustered an army to rescue his compatriot. On his way to Sijilmasa, he subduedTahert, the nearbyIbadi Kharijite stronghold under theRustamid dynasty. The army arrived in the Tafilalt in the latter half of 909, and laid siege to the city. After Yasa' was killed in that year or the next, the Midrar dynasty began a long process of fragmentation that eventually resulted in a hostile takeover by theMaghrawa Berbers, former clients of the Cordoban caliphate.[11]
Under the Maghrawa, who later declared independence from the Cordoban caliphate, the city retained its role as a trade centre. It also became a center for the Maghrawan leadership and its campaign against other tribes in Morocco proper. After 60 years of Maghrawa rule, the elders of Sijilmasa appealed to theSanhaja Berber confederation, which was just beginning its transformation into theAlmoravid dynasty. According to al-Bakri, in 1055,Abdallah ibn Yasin, the spiritual leader of the Almoravid movement, responded by bringing his new army to Sijilmasa and killed the leader of the Maghrawa,Mas'ud ibn Wanudin al-Maghrawi. The Almoravid imposed an extremely strict interpretation of Islam, smashing music instruments and closing down wine shops throughout the city. While the city would rebel against the Almoravid garrison on more than one occasion, Sijilmasa became the Almoravid's first conquest. It remained under their control until 1146, when theAlmohad Caliphate took control of the city. During the Almoravid's rule, the city shared in the centralized governing structure of the Almoravid Empire.[12] Around this time the nearby mountain fortress ofJebel Mudawwar was established.[13]
When the Almohads took the city in the mid-12th century, they also took advantage of the wealth of trade going through Sijilmasa. However, the strict philosophy imposed by the Almoravids at the beginning of their reign of Sijilmasa was overshadowed by the extremely violent practices of the Almohads. This culminated in the massacre of many of the Jews living in Sijilmasa.[14]
Amid the fall of the Almohad dynasty to the Zenata Berber confederation under theMarinids, Sijilmasa once again played host to the latest Berber dynasty.[citation needed]
The Moroccan travellerIbn Battuta stayed in Sijilmasa on his journey to visit theMali Empire in 1352–1353. He wrote: "I reached the city of Sijilmasa, a very beautiful city. It has abundantdates of good quality. The city of al-Basra is like it in the abundance of dates, but those of Sijilmasa are superior."[15] Ibn Battuta also mentions Sijilmasa when describing the Chinese town ofQuanzhou: "In this city, as in all cities in China, men have orchards and fields and their houses in the middle, as they are in Siljimasa in our country. This is why their towns are so big."[16]
Leo Africanus, who travelled to Morocco in the early 16th century, goes to the Tafilalt oasis and finds Sijilmasa destroyed. He remarks on the "most stately and high walls", which were apparently still standing. He continues to describe the city as "gallantly builte," writing there were many stately temples and colleges in the city and water wheels that drew water out of the river Ziz. Leo Africanus says that since the city was destroyed, former residents had moved into outlying villages and castles. He stayed in this area for seven months, saying that it was temperate and pleasant. According to Leo Africanus, the city was destroyed when its last prince was assassinated by the citizens of Sijilmasa, after which the populace spread across the countryside.[17] Ibn Khaldun says in hisMuqaddimah that the city fell due to a lack of resources.[18] Lightfoot and Miller cite several facts from their findings on site: they say that oral tradition preserved by those in the Tafilalt says that the "Black Sultan", a malevolent dictator, was overthrown by the populace.[citation needed]
The city was rebuilt in the 18th century under the orders ofSultan Moulay Ismail. It was conquered and destroyed by the nomadic tribes ofAit Atta in 1818. Today, the ruins of Sijilmasa, located one km north of the town ofRissani, are recognized by theWorld Monuments Fund as an endangered site. They are preserved by the Moroccan Ministry ofCulture.
Part ofa series on the |
|---|
| History ofMorocco |
 |
Related topics |
