| Taroudant | |
| Image Caption: | Taroudant |
| Pushpin Map: | Morocco#Africa |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Morocco |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Souss-Massa |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Taroudant |
| Unit Pref: | metric |
| Population As Of: | 2014 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 80149 |
| Timezone: | WET |
| Utc Offset: | +0 |
| Timezone Dst: | WEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +1 |
| Coordinates: | 30.471°N -8.8806°W |
| Elevation M: | 238 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 83000 |
Taroudant (تارودانت|Tarudant, pronounced as /ar/; ⵜⴰⵔⵓⴷⴰⵏⵜ) is a city in the Sous in southwestern Morocco. It is situated east of Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south of Marrakesh. Today, it is a small market town and a tourist destination.[2]
The Almoravids occupied the town in 1056.[3] 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.[4] [5] [6] According to Moroccan news media, the current layout of the city walls dates to the Saadi period in the 16th century.
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.[7]
The city underwent economic decline after the port of Agadir was closed to commerce in 1760. 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. 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.
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.[8] Moses ben Maimon Albas was a prominent Jewish Kabbalist from Taroudant.[9]
On 11 August 2023, a maximum temperature of 48C was registered.[10]
Today, Taroudant is a notable market town with a souk near each of its two main squares, Assarag and Talmoklate. There is also a weekly souk outside the city walls, near the future university district.
The medina (historic quarter) of Taroudant is classified as a national cultural heritage monument of Morocco.[11] Its historic city walls are around or long and are set with bastions and punctuated by nine gates that are still in use.