Beni Mellal () is a city in north-central

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 the capital of the

Béni Mellal-Khénifra Béni Mellal-Khénifra () is one of the twelve regions of Morocco, covering an area of 28,374 km2, and recorded a population of 2,520,776 in the 2014 Moroccan census. The capital of the region is Beni Mellal. Geography Béni Mellal-Khéni ...

Region and has a population of 192,676 (2014 census). It sits at the foot of Jbel Tassemit (2247 m), next to the plains of Beni Amir. The modern town dates back to 1688, when Moulay Isma'il founded a

kasbah A kasbah (, also ; , , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasbah, qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term in Spanish (), which is derived from the same ...

(fort).

History

Historical Arabic sources do not offer clear details about this site during the medieval period. (), a town that was given to the

Idrisid The Idrisid dynasty or Idrisids ( ') were an Arab Muslim dynasty from 788 to 974, ruling most of present-day Morocco and parts of present-day western Algeria. Named after the founder, Idris I, the Idrisids were an Alid dynasty descended from Mu ...

prince Yahya ibn Idris (son of

Idris II Idrīs ibn Idrīs () known as Idris II () and Idrīs al-Azhar/al-Aṣghar () (August 791 – August 828), was the son of Idris I of Morocco, Idris I, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty in Morocco. He was born in Volubilis, Walīlī two months aft ...

) to rule during the 9th century, may correspond to the site of present Beni Mellal. It was later captured by the Almohads in 1141. In 1688, the Alawi sultan Moulay Isma'il built a

(fort) here and the current town developed around it. The kasbah was restored in the 19th century by Moulay Sliman and again in 1916 by the French Protectorate administration. In 1918, the town had a recorded population of approximately 3,000. During the Protectorate, authorities invested in the area's agricultural infrastructure, which helped the city grow into a major urban centre. Today it is also regional administrative center. Formerly, the city was known as Kasbah Beni Mellal and it was also called Kasbah Bel Kush or Bel Kush () with Kush being a

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

word for black. The name Beni Mellal could be a corruption of the Berber word ''imaloul'' meaning white or it is taken from the tribe living around the city. The Beni Mellal tribe is an Arab tribe of

Jusham The Banu Jusham () were a large sub-tribe in the Arabian Peninsula during the time of Mohammed. According to genealogists and various oral traditions, they are the descendants of Jusham ibn Muawiya ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin. Branches The main tribes ...

origin and its eponymous ancestor is said to be Muhammad al-Mallal.

Climate

Beni Mellal has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''BSh'') with very hot summers and cool winters. As the city lies quite far inland and is shielded by the

Middle Atlas The Middle Atlas (Amazigh: ⴰⵟⵍⴰⵚ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵎⴰⵙ, ''Atlas Anammas'', Arabic: الأطلس المتوسط, ''al-Aṭlas al-Mutawassiṭ'') is a mountain range in Morocco. It is part of the Atlas mountain range, a mountainous regio ...

mountains, the climate is highly

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

. Because of these factors the overall climate can be considered in a fluctuative state generally moderating between two larger extremes in temperature and climate. Rainfall can reach up to per year, snow can also fall in winter.

Transport

Beni Mellal is served by

Beni Mellal Airport Beni Mellal Airport is an airport serving Beni Mellal, Morocco opened in 2014. The airport is located near the township of Oulad Yaich. Airlines and destinations The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Beni Mella ...

Education

In Beni Mellal is located

Sultan Moulay Slimane University Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used ...

Notable people

Abde Ezzalzouli Abdessamad "Abde" Ezzalzouli (; born 17 December 2001), sometimes known as Ez Abde, is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga club Real Betis and the Morocco national team. Ezzalzouli began his professional caree ...

- Professional footballer *

Hicham Sigueni Hicham Sigueni (also spelled Seguini, ; born 30 January 1993) is a Moroccan long-distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, but failed to reach the finals. Sigueni has won bronze m ...

- Long-distance runner *

Mohamed El Badraoui Mohamed El Badraoui (born 27 June 1971) is a Moroccan former professional footballer who played as a striker for several clubs in Turkey and the Morocco national football team. El Badraoui played for Erzurumspor, Bursaspor and Adanaspor in ...

- Former footballer

Gallery

File:Beni mellal castle.jpg, File:Fortress Beni Mellal.jpg, El Kasbah Ain Asserdoun Beni Mellal File:BeniMellal,AinAsserdoun.jpg, File:Beni Mellal - University Sultan Moulay Slimane.JPG, Sultan Moulay Slimane University

References

External links

Lexicorient

Monographie de la Ville de Beni Mellal
{{Authority control * Populated places in Béni Mellal Province Municipalities of Morocco

Beni Mellal Beni Mellal () is a city in north-central Morocco. It is the capital of the Béni Mellal-Khénifra Region and has a population of 192,676 (2014 census). It sits at the foot of Jbel Tassemit (2247 m), next to the plains of Beni Amir. The modern ...

Regional capitals in Morocco