The city of Beni Mellal, the capital of the Middle Atlas - Morocco
The city of Beni Mellal is the capital of the Middle Atlas and one of the oldest cities in North Africa. Numerous excavations discovered in the city proved the ancient human habitation of the city, where there are caves with a long history that can be seen through the traces of excavations in their walls. The city was called in the past, the city of Dai, and it was inhabited by the Masmouda tribes. The city was inhabited by the Bani Ifrane tribes before they were expelled by the Almoravids. After the succession of the Marinids to rule in Morocco, the city was a place for the tribes of Bani Wattas, and after the succession of the Saadians to Moroccan rule, the city of Bani Mellal had a geo-strategic role.
Beni Mellal has a long history in the field of military battles, which is proven by ancient caves and modern walls. The caves were a haven for the inhabitants in the past, while the reeds protected by the walls were a place of protection from the enemy during the French colonial stage, which made great efforts in discovering maps of the caves in the city. The history of making the city home to many historical monuments dating back to the Almohad era during the twelfth century AD.
The city of Beni Mellal has roots in prehistory, which is proven by the countless caves, caves and ruins in Beni Mellal, which suggest human settlement since prehistoric times in the region. Researchers in the field of history are still in the process of studying human history and its effects in the Deir Bani Mellal area. The caves were completed by the Berbers, the first inhabitants of Morocco, who were pre-historic pagans and ancient Christians before the conquest of Morocco.
The history of the city of Beni Mellal is linked to the history of the city of Tadla, until the beginning of the nineteenth century. The region of Tadla entered Islamic rule with the Idrisid in the year 789 AD after its inhabitants embraced Christianity and Judaism, then it was ruled by the Almoravids starting in the year 1075 AD, then the Almohads in the year 1132 AD, followed by the Saadians in 1537 AD, then the Dalais in 1638 AD. Then came the Alawites, who fought a battle led by Al-Rasheed bin Al-Sharif, which lasted for a month and a half in the year 1668 AD, and ruled the city.
The ruling dynasties of the city left many monuments, as the Almoravids built Fort Dey after they besieged the city for ten years, after which it turned into the corner of the silo with Almoravid architecture. The Saadians left the Zaydani corner, which was built by Sultan Zaidan bin Ahmed al-Mansur. In the era of the Alawites, Mawla Ismail built the Kasbah of Tadla and the Kasbah of Kushite in 1688, then the Kasbah of Kushite expanded to Kasbah Beni Mellal during the twentieth century.
The city of Bani Mellal has a history full of battles due to its strategic importance, where the battle of "Tarza" took place between the armies of Mawla Al-Rashid Al-Alawi, the founder of the Alawite state, and Muhammad Olhaj Al-Dala'i, then the battle of Tarda, which ended the Al-Dala'i rule and the beginning of the Alawite rule. During the French colonial period, the city of Beni Mellal witnessed fierce battles to seize the city, the most famous of which was the battle of "Al-Shawsh Ukhla Al-Atawi" in 1947.