Tafilalt تافيلالت | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Panorama of the oasis of Tafilalet, seen from the ksar of Tingheras (Rissani). | |
  Tafilalt Location in Morocco | |
| Coordinates:31°20′22.43″N4°16′5.48″W / 31.3395639°N 4.2681889°W /31.3395639; -4.2681889 | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Drâa-Tafilalet |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Oasis du Tafilalet |
| Designated | 15 January 2005 |
| Reference no. | 1483[1] |
Tafilalt orTafilet (Arabic:تافيلالت,romanized: Tāfīlālt), historicallySijilmasa, is aregion ofMorocco, centered on its largestoasis.[2]
There are many speculations regarding the origin of the word "Tafilalt", however it is known that Tafilalt is aBerber word meaning "jug", which is specifically a pottery jar used to store water.[3]
Although previous settlements existed, especially during the Roman period, the first continuously inhabited town in the area after the spread of Islam wasSijilmasa, founded by theMidrarid dynasty.[4] It was on the direct caravan route from theNiger River toTangier, and attained a considerable degree of prosperity.[5][6]
In the 17th century, theAlawi dynasty of Morocco first achieved political ascendancy in Tafilalt, and in 1606, SultanZidan Abu Maali hid in Tafilalt, where he made a profit off of gold mined in the area, built an army, eventually taking control of the city ofMarrakesh. A few years later in 1610,Ahmed ibn Abi Mahalli also built up an army in the Tafilalt area and took Marrakesh back for himself, but lost control after Sidi Yahya ben Younes liberated the city for Zidan. A decade after this, a revolutionary movement arose in Tafilalt against the ruling sultan, but was repressed after four months of skirmishes. Later, Tafilalt was a major center of the Dila'ites.[7] In 1648, a custom was established by Moorish sultans of Morocco sending superfluous sons or daughters who would not inherit titles or power to Tafilalt.[5]
Medieval travelerIbn Battuta wrote about visiting Sijilmasa (near Tafilalt) in the fourteenth century on his journey from Fez to Mali, "the country of the blacks".[2] It was later destroyed in 1818 by theAït Atta, but its ruins remain, including two gateways.[8] The first European to visit Tafilalt in the modern era wasRené Caillié (1828), and laterGerhard Rohlfs (1864).[9][5] English writerW. B. Harris described Tafilalt in a journal after his visit.[10]
Entirely located along theZiz River,[11] the oasis was, before mechanized transport, ten days' journey south ofFez andMeknes, across theAtlas Mountains.[2] It is known for itsdates.[10]
It was the birthplace of the famed Rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, known as the "Baba Sali" (Arabic:بابا صلى,Hebrew:באבא סאלי, lit. "Praying Father"), (1889–1984).[12]
Mercenaries of Hell (original titlePokol zsoldosai), a novel by the famous Hungarian authorJenő Rejtő takes place in the village and surrounding area.[13][circular reference]
Mentioned in The Manuscript Found at Saragossa by Jan Potocki in The Story of Emina and her Sister Zubeida.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Tafilált".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 354.
Media related toTafilalt at Wikimedia Commons
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