Alternative name | Igiliz-n-Warghan |
---|---|
Location | Igiliz, Toughmart, Morocco |
Region | Taroudant Province, Souss-Massa |
Coordinates | 30°23′57″N 8°21′57″W / 30.3993°N 8.3658°W |
Altitude | 1,354 m (4,442 ft) |
Type | Settlement |
History | |
Founded | c. 1120 |
Abandoned | 18th century |
Associated with | Arghen |
Site notes | |
Discovered | 2006 |
Excavation dates | 2008-2000 |
Public access | Allowed for visitors and tourists |
Website |
visitagadir |
Architecture | |
Architectural styles | Berber |
Designation | Moroccan national historic monument |
Igiliz ( Arabic: إكَيليز; Tachelhit: ⵉⴳⵉⵍⵉⵣ) is a medieval village located in the rural commune of Toughmart on the edge of the Sous valley in the Anti-Atlas mountains of Morocco. [1] [2] It is most known for being the birthplace of Ibn Tumart, founder of the Almohad caliphate. [3] [4] The village was known as place of pilgrimage by Ibn Tumart's followers during Almohad rule. [3] [1]
As the Almohad caliphate collapsed, the village's location had become lost over time and was believed to be fictional until its discovery in 2006 with archeological searches starting in 2008. [5] [6] In 2022, the Igiliz archeological site was listed as a national historic monument. [7] [8] In 2023, the site was opened to visitors and tourists. [9]
Igiliz is a toponym in Berber that can be translated to "mountain peak" or "isolated mountain". [10] [11] The village's full name in Berber, Igiliz-n-Warghan ( Tachelhit: ⵉⴳⵉⵍⵉⵣ ⵏ ⵡⴰⵔⵖⴰⵏ, French: Igiliz-des-Hargha), refers to the native Arghen tribe within the Masmuda tribal confederation. [12] [5]
Igiliz is fortified by two defense walls. [3] There is a residential complex, the Qasba, centered around two courtyards. [13] There is the presence of two places of worship, including a large mosque. [13] Artificial caves, former quarries, were used as places of spiritual retreat and pilgrimage. [13]
The village was built in the 11th century by the Arghen, Ibn Tumart's tribe, as a ribāṭ. [3] [1] Ceramics jars, lamps, plates, braziers, pans, marmites, couscoussiers, flowerpots and a bread oven were found in the archeological site. [14] [15] It is theorized that the community in Igiliz held a market every Friday, to correspond with the Friday sermon, to exchange goods and news, settle disputes, negotiate marriage, and maintain contact with the larger Masmuda confederation. [1] [16]
In 1120, Ibn Tumart exiled himself in a cave in his birthplace of Igiliz fearing Almoravid leadership, he proclaimed himself as the Mahdi in the village a year later. [5] [17] Following a military success in 1123, Ibn Tumart moved to the village of Tinmal where he died in 1130. [5]
In 1141, Igiliz served as a military base for the Almohads serving the anti-Atlas and the Souss valley. [5] In 1157, five years after the Almohad conquest of Marrakesh, caliph Abd al-Mu'min took a pilgrimage to the ribāṭ of Igiliz to pay respect to Ibn Tumart and the Arghen tribe, where he ordered the preservation of Ibn Tumart's cave. [5] During the conquest, Sufi saint Abu al-Abbas as-Sabti moved from Ceuta to Igiliz. [17] His son and successor, Abu Yaqub Yusuf, had done the same pilgrimage in 1170. [5] By the 13th century, the village had two hermitages dedicated for pilgrims. [5]
Despite Igiliz's status as a site of pilgrimage, the location of the village started to become omitted from written literature and forgotten in favor of Tinmal, Igiliz had become completely deserted by the 18th century. [5] The village's legacy persisted as a site of asceticism where the native Arghen held a ritual luncheon every year in memory of Ibn Tumart. [5]
The village's exact location had become lost over time and was believed to be fictional. [6] [9] In 1924, French historians Henri Basset and Henri Terrasse assumed the village to be in Gueliz district of Marrakesh but offered no reasonable evidence to substanciate their claim. [6] [18] In 2005, American historian Allen Fromherz disproved the claim and theorized Igiliz to be located in the village of Igli, near Taroudant within the Sous valley, coroberating his claim with oral tradition. [6]
In 2006, historians Jean-Pierre van Staëvel and Abdallah Fili disproved Fromherz's theory as a confusion between toponyms, with Igili contradicting with historical descriptions of Igiliz as a fortified site in the anti-Atlas. [2] After a search for Igiliz at the Arghen's historical territory, the delegation located a ribāṭ believed to have been Igiliz. [9] [2] In 2008, archeological searches began which confirmed the location to be Igiliz. [9] In 2023, the Souss-Massa regional tourism council opened the site for visitors and tourists. [9]
Alternative name | Igiliz-n-Warghan |
---|---|
Location | Igiliz, Toughmart, Morocco |
Region | Taroudant Province, Souss-Massa |
Coordinates | 30°23′57″N 8°21′57″W / 30.3993°N 8.3658°W |
Altitude | 1,354 m (4,442 ft) |
Type | Settlement |
History | |
Founded | c. 1120 |
Abandoned | 18th century |
Associated with | Arghen |
Site notes | |
Discovered | 2006 |
Excavation dates | 2008-2000 |
Public access | Allowed for visitors and tourists |
Website |
visitagadir |
Architecture | |
Architectural styles | Berber |
Designation | Moroccan national historic monument |
Igiliz ( Arabic: إكَيليز; Tachelhit: ⵉⴳⵉⵍⵉⵣ) is a medieval village located in the rural commune of Toughmart on the edge of the Sous valley in the Anti-Atlas mountains of Morocco. [1] [2] It is most known for being the birthplace of Ibn Tumart, founder of the Almohad caliphate. [3] [4] The village was known as place of pilgrimage by Ibn Tumart's followers during Almohad rule. [3] [1]
As the Almohad caliphate collapsed, the village's location had become lost over time and was believed to be fictional until its discovery in 2006 with archeological searches starting in 2008. [5] [6] In 2022, the Igiliz archeological site was listed as a national historic monument. [7] [8] In 2023, the site was opened to visitors and tourists. [9]
Igiliz is a toponym in Berber that can be translated to "mountain peak" or "isolated mountain". [10] [11] The village's full name in Berber, Igiliz-n-Warghan ( Tachelhit: ⵉⴳⵉⵍⵉⵣ ⵏ ⵡⴰⵔⵖⴰⵏ, French: Igiliz-des-Hargha), refers to the native Arghen tribe within the Masmuda tribal confederation. [12] [5]
Igiliz is fortified by two defense walls. [3] There is a residential complex, the Qasba, centered around two courtyards. [13] There is the presence of two places of worship, including a large mosque. [13] Artificial caves, former quarries, were used as places of spiritual retreat and pilgrimage. [13]
The village was built in the 11th century by the Arghen, Ibn Tumart's tribe, as a ribāṭ. [3] [1] Ceramics jars, lamps, plates, braziers, pans, marmites, couscoussiers, flowerpots and a bread oven were found in the archeological site. [14] [15] It is theorized that the community in Igiliz held a market every Friday, to correspond with the Friday sermon, to exchange goods and news, settle disputes, negotiate marriage, and maintain contact with the larger Masmuda confederation. [1] [16]
In 1120, Ibn Tumart exiled himself in a cave in his birthplace of Igiliz fearing Almoravid leadership, he proclaimed himself as the Mahdi in the village a year later. [5] [17] Following a military success in 1123, Ibn Tumart moved to the village of Tinmal where he died in 1130. [5]
In 1141, Igiliz served as a military base for the Almohads serving the anti-Atlas and the Souss valley. [5] In 1157, five years after the Almohad conquest of Marrakesh, caliph Abd al-Mu'min took a pilgrimage to the ribāṭ of Igiliz to pay respect to Ibn Tumart and the Arghen tribe, where he ordered the preservation of Ibn Tumart's cave. [5] During the conquest, Sufi saint Abu al-Abbas as-Sabti moved from Ceuta to Igiliz. [17] His son and successor, Abu Yaqub Yusuf, had done the same pilgrimage in 1170. [5] By the 13th century, the village had two hermitages dedicated for pilgrims. [5]
Despite Igiliz's status as a site of pilgrimage, the location of the village started to become omitted from written literature and forgotten in favor of Tinmal, Igiliz had become completely deserted by the 18th century. [5] The village's legacy persisted as a site of asceticism where the native Arghen held a ritual luncheon every year in memory of Ibn Tumart. [5]
The village's exact location had become lost over time and was believed to be fictional. [6] [9] In 1924, French historians Henri Basset and Henri Terrasse assumed the village to be in Gueliz district of Marrakesh but offered no reasonable evidence to substanciate their claim. [6] [18] In 2005, American historian Allen Fromherz disproved the claim and theorized Igiliz to be located in the village of Igli, near Taroudant within the Sous valley, coroberating his claim with oral tradition. [6]
In 2006, historians Jean-Pierre van Staëvel and Abdallah Fili disproved Fromherz's theory as a confusion between toponyms, with Igili contradicting with historical descriptions of Igiliz as a fortified site in the anti-Atlas. [2] After a search for Igiliz at the Arghen's historical territory, the delegation located a ribāṭ believed to have been Igiliz. [9] [2] In 2008, archeological searches began which confirmed the location to be Igiliz. [9] In 2023, the Souss-Massa regional tourism council opened the site for visitors and tourists. [9]