Taza
Taza (ⵜⴰⵣⴰ, تازة) is a city in northern Morocco occupying the corridor between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez and 150 km south of Al Hoceima. It recorded a population of 148,406 in the 2019 Moroccan census and is the capital of Taza Province.
Historically Taza was known first as Ribāt Taza (رباط تازة), a military camp belonging to the Fatimid state, founded by the local governor Musa ibn Abi'l-Afiya (موسى بن أبي العافية) who was also the leader of the Miknasa. Up to at least the early 20th century, Taza was a considerable trading centre on the route between Fez and the Algerian frontier. Taza as a toponym could be derivative from Tizi (Tamazight for a hill that lies between mountains) which is where it stands up.
Taza was first settled by Miknasa tribesmen, who gave it its name: Miknasa Taza, similar to Miknasa al-Zeitoun (present-day Meknes, another Miknasa settlement). The Almoravid empire took over Taza in 1074. They were replaced by the Almohad empire in 1132. In 1248 the city was captured by the Marinids. Although Taza barred the route of the Turks from Algiers seeking conquest in what is now Morocco, it fell to the French in 1914. The old town has Berber monuments, mosques, and a 14th-century madrasa (Koranic school). Population in 1982 stood at 77,216.
Historically Taza was known first as Ribāt Taza (رباط تازة), a military camp belonging to the Fatimid state, founded by the local governor Musa ibn Abi'l-Afiya (موسى بن أبي العافية) who was also the leader of the Miknasa. Up to at least the early 20th century, Taza was a considerable trading centre on the route between Fez and the Algerian frontier. Taza as a toponym could be derivative from Tizi (Tamazight for a hill that lies between mountains) which is where it stands up.
Taza was first settled by Miknasa tribesmen, who gave it its name: Miknasa Taza, similar to Miknasa al-Zeitoun (present-day Meknes, another Miknasa settlement). The Almoravid empire took over Taza in 1074. They were replaced by the Almohad empire in 1132. In 1248 the city was captured by the Marinids. Although Taza barred the route of the Turks from Algiers seeking conquest in what is now Morocco, it fell to the French in 1914. The old town has Berber monuments, mosques, and a 14th-century madrasa (Koranic school). Population in 1982 stood at 77,216.
Map - Taza
Map
Country - Morocco
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| Flag of Morocco | |
In a region inhabited since the Paleolithic era over 300,000 years ago, the first Moroccan state was established by Idris I in 788. It was subsequently ruled by a series of independent dynasties, reaching its zenith as a regional power in the 11th and 12th centuries, under the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties, when it controlled most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Morocco faced external threats to its sovereignty, with Portugal seizing some territory and the Ottoman Empire encroaching from the east. The Marinid and Saadi dynasties otherwise resisted foreign domination, and Morocco was the only North African nation to escape Ottoman dominion. The 'Alawi dynasty, which rules the country to this day, seized power in 1631, and over the next two centuries expanded diplomatic and commercial relations with the Western world. Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean drew renewed European interest; in 1912, France and Spain divided the country into respective protectorates, reserving an international zone in Tangier. Following intermittent riots and revolts against colonial rule, in 1956, Morocco regained its independence and reunified.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAD | Moroccan dirham | د م. | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| AR | Arabic language |
| FR | French language |