Taza

Taza

Taza (Arabic: تازة) is a city in northern Morocco occupying the corridor between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez and 150 km south of Al Hoceima. It recorded a population of 148,406 in the 2019 Moroccan census[2] and is the capital of Taza Province. Historically Taza was known first as Ribāt Taza (Arabic: رباط تازة), a military camp belonging to the Fatimid state, founded by the local governor Musa ibn Abi'l-Afiya (موسى بن أبي العافية) who was also the leader of the Miknasa.[3][full citation needed] Up to at least the early 20th century, Taza was a considerable trading centre on the route between Fez and the Algerian frontier.[4] Taza as a toponym could be derivative from Tizi (Tamazight for a hill that lies between mountains) which is where it stands up.[citation needed] Taza was first settled by Miknasa tribesmen, who gave it its name: Miknasa Taza, similar to Miknasa al-Zeitoun (present-day Meknes, another Miknasa settlement). The Almoravid empire took over Taza in 1074. They were replaced by the Almohad empire in 1132. In 1248 the city was captured by the Marinids. Although Taza barred the route of the Turks from Algiers seeking conquest in what is now Morocco,[5] it fell to the French in 1914. The old town has Berber monuments, mosques, and a 14th-century madrasa (Koranic school). Population in 1982 stood at 77,216.[citation needed]