Taroudant

Ancient period

It has been speculated that Taroudant is the same town known as Vala or Uala, which existed in ancient Mauretania.^[4]

Medieval period

The Almoravids occupied the town in 1056.^[2] In the mid-15th century the Banu Zaydan, the family who later founded the Saadi 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.^[5][6][7] According to Moroccan news media, the current layout of the city walls dates to the Saadi period in the 16th century.^[3]

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 Marrakesh.^[8]

The city underwent economic decline after the port of Agadir was closed to commerce in 1760.^[8] 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 Tayyeb al-Goundafi restored order in 1903.^[8] When France began to impose its protectorate on Morocco in 1912, Ahmed al-Hiba used Taroudant as his capital to resist the French. The French only established control over it in 1917.^[8]

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.^[9] Moses ben Maimon Albas was a prominent Jewish Kabbalist from Taroudant.^[10]