Beni Mellal Explained

Beni Mellal
Pushpin Map:Morocco#Africa
Pushpin Relief:yes
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Morocco
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Morocco
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Béni Mellal-Khénifra
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Beni Mellal
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:209,676
Population Rank:17th in Morocco
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Metro:447330
Population Density Metro Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Coordinates:32.3394°N -6.3608°W
Elevation M:620
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:23000
Website:www.communebenimellal.ma

Beni Mellal (Arabic: بني ملال|) 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).[1] 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 (fort).

History

Historical Arabic sources do not offer clear details about this site during the medieval period.[2], a town that was given to the Idrisid prince Yahya ibn Idris (son of Idris II) to rule during the 9th century, may correspond to the site of present Beni Mellal.[3] It was later captured by the Almohads in 1141.

In 1688, the Alawi sultan Moulay Isma'il built a kasbah (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 3000. 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.

Climate

Beni Mellal has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) with very hot summers and cool winters. As the city lies quite far inland and is shielded by the Middle Atlas mountains, the climate is highly continental. 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 500mm per year, snow can also fall in winter.

Transport

Beni Mellal is served by Beni Mellal Airport.

Education

In Beni Mellal is located Sultan Moulay Slimane University.

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: POPULATION LÉGALE DES RÉGIONS, PROVINCES, PRÉFECTURES, MUNICIPALITÉS, ARRONDISSEMENTS ET COMMUNES DU ROYAUME D’APRÈS LES RÉSULTATS DU RGPH 2014 . ar, fr . High Commission for Planning, Morocco . 8 April 2015 . 29 September 2017.
  2. Book: Boum, Aomar . Historical Dictionary of Morocco . Park . Thomas K. . Rowman & Littlefield . 2016 . 978-1-4422-6297-3 . 95 . en . Béni Mellal.
  3. Book: Garcia-Arenal . Mercedes . Genèse de la ville islamique en al-Andalus et au Maghreb occidental . Moreno . Eduardo Manzano . Casa de Velázquez; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) . 1998 . 978-84-00-07766-2 . Cressier . Patrice . 277 . fr . Légitimité et villes idrissides . Garcia-Arenal . Mercedes . https://books.google.com/books?id=BwXpacrOE-YC&dq=Wazeqq%C5%ABr+morocco&pg=PA278.