Khalifa al-Zanati (Arabic: خليفة الزناتي) one of the main characters in the
Bani Hilal epic, where he appears as the
Berber king of
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
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.
The epic says that during the siege of
Bani Hilal to Tunis he asked their knights for duels every day and killed many of them, not even
Abu Zayd al-Hilali was able to defeat him. His destiny was to be killed by
Dhieb bin Ghanim who thrust a spear into his eyes.
The epic also says that one of the reasons of his defeat was the betrayal of his daughter Sadaa who fell in love with Maree, a Hilalian prince held captive in her fathers prison.
The historical Khalifa Al-Zanati may have been a general serving the ruler of
Tlemcen
Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the p ...
in present-day Algeria.
References
History of North Africa
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