Almohad facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Almohad Caliphate الموَحدون (Al-Muwaḥḥidūn) ⵉⵎⵡⴻⵃⵃⴷⴻⵏ (Imweḥḥden)
1121–1269
Flag
The Almohad empire at its greatest extent, c. 1180–1212
Status	Ruling dynasty of Morocco; Caliphate (since 1147)
Capital	Tinmel (1121–1147) Marrakesh (1147–1269) In Al-Andalus: Seville (1147–1162) Córdoba (1162–1163) Seville (1163–1248)
Common languages	Arabic, Berber, Mozarabic
Religion	Sunni Islam (Creed: Ash'ari; Madhab: Zahiri)
Government	Caliphate
Caliph
• 1121–1130	Ibn Tumart (first, under title of "Mahdi")
• 1130–1163	Abd al-Mu'min (first, under title of "Caliph" from 1147)
• 1266–1269	Abu al-Ula al-Wathiq Idris (last)
History
• Established	1121
• Almoravids overthrown	1147
• Marinid suzerainty	1248
• Disestablished	1269
Area
1150 est.	2,300,000 km2 (890,000 sq mi)
Currency	Dinar
Preceded by Succeeded by Almoravid dynasty Hammadid kingdom Second Taifas period Kingdom of Africa Taifas in the Al-Andalus Marinid dynasty Hafsid dynasty Kingdom of Tlemcen Third Taifas period Kingdom of Castile Kingdom of Aragon Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Leon Emirate of Granada
Today part of	Algeria  Gibraltar (UK)  Libya  Morocco  Portugal  Spain  Tunisia  Western Sahara

The Almohad Dynasty (From Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i.e., "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians"), was a Berber, Muslim dynasty that was founded in the 12th century, and conquered all northern Africa as far as Libya, together with Al-Andalus (Moorish Iberia).

History

Between 1130 and his death in 1163, Abd al-Mu'min al-Kumi, a Berber from the Masmuda tribe, defeated the ruling Almoravids and became ruler over all northern Africa as far as Libya. He became Emir of Marrakech in 1149 and conquered Al-Andalus, Moorish Iberia. In 1170 the Almohads transferred their capital to Seville. But by 1212 Muhammad III, "al-Nasir" (1199–1214) was defeated by an alliance of the four Christian princes of Castile, Aragón, Kingdom of Navarre and Portugal, at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in the Sierra Morena. The Almohads lost nearly all of the Moorish dominions in Iberia soon after. The great Moorish cities of Córdoba and Seville fell into Christian possession in the first half of the 13th century. The Almohads continued to rule in Africa for some time, but they lost a lot of their territory. The last representative of the line, Idris II, had only Marrakech left. There he was murdered by a slave in 1269.

Muwahhadi (Almohad) Caliphs,1121–1269

The Alhomad minaret in Safi

Map showing the area of Almohad control in Spain and the paths of counter-attacks from Castile (C) and Aragón (A). ((L) Leon, (P) Portugal, (N) Navarre)

• Ibn Tumart 1121-1130
• Abd al-Mu'min 1130–1163
• Abu Ya'qub Yusuf I 1163–1184
• Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur 1184–1199
• Muhammad an-Nasir 1199–1213
• Abu Ya'qub Yusuf II 1213–1224
• Abd al-Wahid I 1224
• Abdallah al-Adil 1224–1227
• Yahya 1227–1235
• Idris I 1227–1232
• Abdul-Wahid II 1232–1242
• Ali 1242–1248
• Umar 1248–1266
• Idris II 1266–1269

Culture

Sufi writers.

• Sidi Abu Madyan Choaïb ben al-Houssein al-Ansari (1126-1198)
• Ali ibn Harzihim (m.1164)
• Abi Mohammed Salih (1153-1234)
• Abu Abdallah ibn Harzihim (m.1235)
• Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili (1197-1258)
• Abdelwahid al-Marrakushi (b. 1185) historian and writer
• Salih ben Sharif al-Rundi (1204-1285)

Related pages

• History of Islam
• History of Spain
• Nasrid
• Reconquista

• History of the Almonades, Reinhart Dozy, (second edition, 1881)
• Mica Enciclopedie de Istorie Universala, Marcel D. Popa, Horia C. Matei, (Bucharest, Editura Politica 1988)

Images for kids

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  Approximate locations of the main Masmuda tribes that adhered to the Almohads

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  Phases of the expansion of the Almohad state

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  The Almohads transferred the capital of Al-Andalus to Seville.

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  Coin minted during the reign of Abu Yaqub Yusuf

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  Almohads after 1212

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  The "Las Navas de Tolosa banner", an Almohad banner captured by Ferdinand III in the 13th century

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  The Monzón Lion, a bronze fountain from Al-Andalus dating from the 12th-13th century

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  Fragment of Kufic inscription on cuerda seca tiles formerly around the minaret of the Kasbah Mosque

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  The Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakesh, founded by Abd al-Mu'min in 1147

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  The ceremonial main gate of the Kasbah of the Udayas (in Rabat), added to the fortress by Ya'qub al-Mansur in the late 1190s

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  Mihrab of the Great Mosque of Tinmal

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  La Giralda, the former minaret of the Great Mosque of Seville, built during the Almohad period

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  The south portico of the Patio del Yeso of the Alcázar of Seville, built during the Almohad period

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  Reservoir of the al-Buḥayra gardens in Seville, with remains of palace structure behind it (partly occupied by later building)

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  Hassan Tower in Rabat: an incomplete minaret intended for an enormous mosque begun by Ya'qub al-Mansur in the 1190s

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  Bab Ruwah ('Gate of the Winds') in Rabat

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  The minaret of the Kasbah Mosque (or Al-Mansuriyya Mosque) in the Kasbah of Marrakesh

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  Bab Agnaou, the original public entrance to the Kasbah of Marrakesh

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  The Torre del Oro in Seville

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  Calahorra Tower in Cordoba

See also

In Spanish: Imperio almohade para niños