Taroudant

File:TAROUDANNT defensive wall (js).jpg]]

The Almoravids occupied the town in 1056.{{cite book|title=Morocco|year=2006|publisher=Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley|page=288}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Deverdun |first=Gaston |title=Marrakech: Des origines à 1912 |publisher=Éditions Techniques Nord-Africaines |year=1959 |location=Rabat |pages=350 |language=fr}}{{Cite book |last=Abun-Nasr |first=Jamil |title=A history of the Maghrib in the Islamic period |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1987 |isbn=0-521-33767-4 |location=Cambridge |pages=210 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Boum |first=Aomar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glgzDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA432 |title=Historical Dictionary of Morocco |last2=Park |first2=Thomas K. |date= |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4422-6297-3 |pages=432 |language=en |chapter=Sa'dian dynasty}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Boum |first=Aomar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glgzDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA432 |title=Historical Dictionary of Morocco |last2=Park |first2=Thomas K. |date= |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4422-6297-3 |pages=458 |language=en |chapter=Taroudant}}

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.{{cite web |title=Discover Morocco’s Berber Jewish Past |url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/discover-moroccos-berber-jewish-past/#:~:text=The%20Jewish%20presence%20in%20this,role%20in%20the%20city's%20economy. |website=The Times of Israel |access-date=6 June 2024}} Moses ben Maimon Albas was a prominent Jewish Kabbalist from Taroudant.{{cite web |title=Albaz, Moses Ben Maimon |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/albaz-moses-ben-maimon |website=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=18 June 2024}}

On 11 August 2023, a maximum temperature of {{convert|48.0|C|1}} was registered.{{cite web |url=https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=60253&ano=2023&mes=9&day=1&hora=18&min=0&ndays=30|title=60253: Taroudant (Morocco) |author= |date=11 August 2023 |website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET|access-date=10 July 2024 }}{{Relevance inline|date=May 2024|reason=What does this represent? Is this a record temperature?}}

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.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Médina de Taroudannt |url=http://idpc.ma/view/pc_architecture/sanae:280019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117114604/http://idpc.ma/view/pc_architecture/sanae:280019 |archive-date=2019-11-17 |access-date=2019-11-17 |website=Inventaire du patrimoine culturel du Maroc |language=fr}} Its historic city walls are around {{convert|6|km}} or {{convert|8|km}} long and are set with bastions and punctuated by nine gates that are still in use.

• Sana Akroud (born 1980), actress, filmmaker, screenwriter, film producer
• Moses ben Maimon Albas (16th century), kabbalist
• Ahmed Soultan, singer

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Taroudant}}

{{Wikivoyage|Taroudannt}}

• [http://www.taroudannt-province.com/ Official web site of Taroudant Province]

{{Coord|30|28|15.59|N|8|52|50.16|W|region:MA_type:city|display=title}}

{{Souss-Massa}}

{{Taroudant Province}}

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Category:Municipalities of Morocco

Taroudant

Category:Taroudant