Beni Mellal

History

Historical Arabic sources do not offer clear details about this site during the medieval period. ar (), 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. It was later captured by the Almohads in 1141.

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. In 1918, the town had a recorded population of approximately 3,000. During the Protectorate, authorities invested in the area's agricultural infrastructure, which helped the city grow into a major urban centre. Today it is also regional administrative center.

Formerly, the city was known as Kasbah Beni Mellal and it was also called Kasbah Bel Kush or Bel Kush () with Kush being a Berber word for black. The name Beni Mellal could be a corruption of the Berber word imaloul meaning white or it is taken from the tribe living around the city. The Beni Mellal tribe is an Arab tribe of Jusham origin and its eponymous ancestor is said to be Muhammad al-Mallal.

Climate

Beni Mellal has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) with very hot summers and cool winters. As the city lies quite far inland and is shielded by the Middle Atlas mountains, the climate is highly continental. Because of these factors the overall climate can be considered in a fluctuative state generally moderating between two larger extremes in temperature and climate. Rainfall can reach up to 500 mm per year, snow can also fall in winter.

|Jan record high C = 27.6 |Feb record high C = 32.0 |Mar record high C = 35.8 |Apr record high C = 37.5 |May record high C = 42.4 |Jun record high C = 45.7 |Jul record high C = 46.1 |Aug record high C = 46.0 |Sep record high C = 42.4 |Oct record high C = 39.2 |Nov record high C = 33.5 |Dec record high C = 29.5 |year record high C = |Jan record low C = -6.0 |Feb record low C = -3.7 |Mar record low C = -2.6 |Apr record low C = 1.7 |May record low C = 3.4 |Jun record low C = 8.5 |Jul record low C = 12.5 |Aug record low C = 13.8 |Sep record low C = 7.5 |Oct record low C = 4.3 |Nov record low C = -2.2 |Dec record low C = -3.0 |year record low C = | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231005212325/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/4.4/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Morocco/CSV/BENIMELLAL_60191.csv | archive-date = October 5, 2023 | access-date = October 5, 2023}}

Transport

Beni Mellal is served by Beni Mellal Airport.

Education

In Beni Mellal is located Sultan Moulay Slimane University.

Notable people

• Abde Ezzalzouli - Professional footballer
• Hicham Sigueni - Long-distance runner
• Mohamed El Badraoui - Former footballer

Gallery

File:Beni mellal castle.jpg| File:Fortress Beni Mellal.jpg|El Kasbah Ain Asserdoun Beni Mellal File:BeniMellal,AinAsserdoun.jpg| File:Beni Mellal - University Sultan Moulay Slimane.JPG|Sultan Moulay Slimane University

References

References

2. (8 April 2015). "POPULATION LÉGALE DES RÉGIONS, PROVINCES, PRÉFECTURES, MUNICIPALITÉS, ARRONDISSEMENTS ET COMMUNES DU ROYAUME D’APRÈS LES RÉSULTATS DU RGPH 2014". High Commission for Planning, Morocco.
3. Boum, Aomar. (2016). "Historical Dictionary of Morocco". Rowman & Littlefield.
4. Deverdun, Gaston. "Benī Mellāl".
5. (1998). "Genèse de la ville islamique en al-Andalus et au Maghreb occidental". Casa de Velázquez; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).
6. مصطفى, عربوش،. (1989). "من تاريخ منطقة إقليم تادلة وبني ملال". يطلب من مكتبة الطالب،.