TLEMCEN

Tlemcen was founded in 1235 after the disintegration of the Almohad Caliphate. Yaghmurasen Ibn Zyan [i] founded the kingdom by asserting control over rival Amazigh tribes living in the area and the dynasty lasted about 300 years. Tlemcen was constantly threatened by the Marinid [ii] Empire and was successfully invaded on several occasions. Failed incursions to conquer parts of the Hafsid Kingdom further debilitated Tlemcen. When the Ottomans arrived in the area in 1554, Tlemcen was annexed and its rulers deposed. The main factors for its decline were the lack of geographical and cultural unity, and a weak military composed of Arab nomads [iii].

Yaghmurasen maintained stability during the early stages of the Tlemcen Empire by forming pacts with the local Amazigh tribes [iv]. Nonetheless, constant attacks from the Marinids, based in Morocco [v], and the Hafsids [vi] in present day Tunisia [vii] and Libya [viii] were too risky for the security of Tlemcenians. Additional rivals included the Kingdom of Aragon and rebel nomad tribes. To assert their domain, the Zayyanid leaders sought alliances with the Emirate of Granada and the Crown of Castile. Continuous attacks from invaders, no clearly defined borders, and lack of central control led to the fall of the Tlemcen [ix] when the Ottomans [x] arrived in 1554.

Although the kingdom only lasted about three centuries, there were several factors that shaped its legacy. The architecture and prosperity that were brought into the city of Tlemcen are still visible today, especially in the El Mechouar Palace [xi]. The palace was the royal residence for the Zayyanids, built under Yaghmurasen leadership. Another important legacy of the kingdom was its trading routes [xii]. At its largest extent, Tlemcenians dominated the outpost of Sijilmasa [xiii] in the northern part of the Sahara. Zayyanid leaders managed to connect this economic hub in the desert to the port of Oran and greatly expanded the trade with Europe.

The Tlemcen dynasty was ruled under an Islamic monarchy led by sultans [xiv]. Under the Zayyanid rulers, the city of Tlemcen became an important center of Islamic culture and religion. The rulers invested heavily in making the city an important urban, education, and economic center [xv]. It’s timeline can be divided into two separate governing periods. The Marinids managed to take control of the empire from 1337 to 1359 [xvi]. The Zayyanids managed to regain control but were constantly fighting invaders. The lack of unity and centralization in its ruling system proved to be one of the main factors behind the fall of Tlemcen.

The Tlemcen Kingdom only lasted about 300 years but had an important impact in the history of Northern Africa, specifically in Algeria. It was the last Amazigh civilization to rule the area before the arrival of the Ottomans in the 16th century. The dynasty helped cities like Oran and Tlemcen to become important urban and cultural centers. The Zayyanid rulers invested heavily [xvii] in the creation of Mosques and Madrasas, such as Madrasa al-Tashfiniya [xviii], which attracted many students from the Maghreb. Tlemcen’s strategic position proved too attractive to neighboring empires, who were constantly looking to annex this land and depose its rulers.

Major accomplishments for the Tlemcen Kingdom include its geographical expansion and the hosting of Jewish refugees. In 1264, Sultan Yaghmurasen was able to conquer Sijilmasa [xix], an important trading center in present day Morocco. The Tlemcen Kingdom managed to connect these two important trading centers, which enabled the movement of goods and people from the Sahara to the Mediterranean. An additional accomplishment [xx] was during the Spanish Inquisition in the late 15th century, when Sephardic Jewish groups escaping from Europe arrived in Tlemcen. The Muslim authorities allow these refugees to reside in the kingdom, proving that Tlemcen was a tolerant and diverse society.

The Tlemcen economy was centered heavily on trade with Christian kingdoms in Europe and was regulated by treaties. Iberian merchants acted as consuls, establishing depots where goods were exchanged. Some of the Tlemcen’s main exported commodities included grains, iron, skins, dates, and wood [xxi]. The kingdom had an important era of economic prosperity and increased trade networks. However, this period came to a halt when the Marinids reconquered Sijilmasa and moved the sub-Saharan trade back to Fez [xxii]. Additional capital city invasions by the Marinids further depressed the Tlemcenian economy and made for a difficult recovery until the Ottomans gained control in 1554.