Beni Mellal

Beni Mellal

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).[2] Historical Arabic sources do not offer clear details about this site during the medieval period.[2] Hiṣn Daī (Arabic: حصن دائي), 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][2][4] It was later captured by the Almohads in 1141.[3] 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.[2] In 1918, the town had a recorded population of approximately 3000.[3] During the Protectorate, authorities invested in the area's agricultural infrastructure, which helped the city grow into a major urban centre.[2] Today it is also regional administrative center.[3]