High Middle Ages · Africa · Politics
1269
Merenid dynasty captures Marrakesh
1269
The Marinid Berbers, having fought the Almohads for decades, finally seized Marrakesh and ended the last pretense of Almohad power. Morocco entered a new era under the Marinids, who built spectacular madrasas in Fez, patronized Maliki scholarship, and launched occasional futile jihads across the Strait of Gibraltar. Their rule stabilized Morocco and attracted scholars and artisans from al-Andalus who enriched the kingdom's intellectual and artistic life.