Taroudant (, ) is a city in the

Sous The Sous region (also spelt Sus, Suss, Souss or Sousse) (, ) is a historical, cultural and geographical region of Morocco, which constitutes part of the region administration of Souss-Massa and Guelmim-Oued Noun. The region is known for the en ...

in southwestern

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. It is situated east of

Agadir Agadir (, ; ) is a major List of cities in Morocco, city in Morocco, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Sous River, Souss River flows into the ocean, and south of Casabla ...

on the road to

Ouarzazate 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 a primary tourist destination in Morocco during the holidays, as well as ...

and south of

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

. Today, it is a small market town and a tourist destination.

History

The

Almoravids The Almoravid dynasty () was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus, starting in the 1050s and lasting until its fall to the Almo ...

occupied the town in 1056. In the mid-15th century the Banu Zaydan, the family who later founded the

Saadi dynasty The Saadi Sultanate (), also known as the Sharifian Sultanate (), was a state which ruled present-day Morocco and parts of Northwest Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was led by the Saadi dynasty, an Arab Sharifism, Sharifian dynasty. ...

, established themselves near Taroudant in a settlement called Tidsi, which served briefly as the base of the dynasty's first leader, al-Qa'im, until 1513. According to Moroccan news media, the current layout of the city walls dates to the Saadi period in the 16th century. In the 17th century, Taroudant was the base of Sidi Yahya, a local chieftain who successfully aided the Saadi sultan Moulay Zaydan against Abu Mahalli, a rebel who had captured

. The city underwent economic decline after the port of Agadir was closed to commerce in 1760. In the late 19th century, Sultan Hassan I established more secure control of the city. At the beginning of the 20th century it resisted government control again until ''

qa'id Qaid ( ', "commander"; pl. ', or '), also spelled kaid or caïd, is a word meaning "commander" or "leader." It was a title in the Norman kingdom of Sicily, applied to palatine officials and members of the ''curia'', usually to those who we ...

'' Tayyeb al-Goundafi restored order in 1903. When France began to impose its protectorate on Morocco in 1912,

Ahmed al-Hiba Ahmed al-Hiba (, also known as The Blue Sultan; 9 September 1877 – 26 June 1919), was a leader of an armed resistance to the French colonial power in Western Sahara, and was Blue Sultan of Morocco. In English texts he is usually named simpl ...

used Taroudant as his capital to resist the French. The French only established control over it in 1917. Historically, there was a Jewish community in Taroudant, believed to have been established in the 11th century. Jews made up 10% of the city's population, and mainly engaged in the caravan trade. Moses ben Maimon Albas was a prominent Jewish Kabbalist from Taroudant.

Climate

On 11 August 2023, a maximum temperature of was registered.

Economy

Today, Taroudant is a notable market town with a

souk A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets that have doors ...

near each of its two main squares, Assarag and Talmoklate. There is also a weekly souk outside the city walls, near the future university district.

Landmarks

The

medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

(historic quarter) of Taroudant is classified as a national cultural heritage monument of Morocco. Its historic city walls are around or long and are set with bastions and punctuated by nine gates that are still in use.

Notable people

* Sana Akroud (born 1980), actress, filmmaker, screenwriter, film producer * Moses ben Maimon Albas (16th century), kabbalist *

Ahmed Soultan Ahmed Soultan (, ; born June 17, 1978) is a Moroccan singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the leaders of the "Nayda" (new urban Moroccan scene). Ahmed Soultan is an Afro-Arabian soul artist whose music embodies cultural universality, ...

, singer

References

External links

Official web site of Taroudant Province
{{Authority control Municipalities of Morocco

Taroudant Taroudant (, ) is a city in the Sous in southwestern Morocco. It is situated east of Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south of Marrakesh. Today, it is a small market town and a tourist destination. History The Almoravids occupied the town ...

Taroudant