Qasaba of the Udayas

The Qasaba[1]  of the Udayas, the city of Rabat’s first Islamic hub, is located in the north-eastern part of the town, on a cliff dominating the Atlantic coast and the mouth of the Bou Regreg. The site’s current name is that of the local Saharan tribe that was recruited into the Alaouite army to defend the city against the region’s turbulent tribes. The history of the site before the arrival of the Almohads remains obscure. The ancient authors relate that in 1140, the Almoravid Emir Tāshufīn ibn ‘Alī constructed a military and religious ribat on the Bou Regreg estuary known as Ksar Bni Targa. Digs conducted near the Bāb al-Kabīr have revealed the ruins of constructions that belonged to this medieval fortress.

The qasaba’s history only really began in the Almohad era. In 1150, ‘Abd al-Mu’min (reigned 1130–1163), the first of the dynasty’s caliphs, commissioned the construction of a fortress on the left bank of the estuary, which he called Mahdia[2]. The qasaba held an important[3] place until the death of its founder. It then declined in importance, giving way to the new foundation, the Ribat al-Fath of Ya‘qūb Al-Mansūr.

When Philippe II expelled the Moors from Spain in 1609, two thousand Hornacheros[4] moved into the qasaba, and thousands of other refugees came to join them. The Saadian sultan Mawlāy Zaydān gave them protection by recruiting them into his army and gave them the responsibility of defending the city of Rabat-Salé. He organized them militarily and installed them in the ancient fortress of ‘Abd al-Mu’min. The qasaba was in a poor state, and the Hornacheros consolidated the enclosure and several other buildings. In exchange, Mawlāy Zaydān allowed them to benefit from tariffs for merchandise entering the port. Several years later they won their independence. The qasaba then became the capital of a small autonomous republic that lived by controlling the port’s entry point and consecrating itself entirely to piracy. 

The advent of the Alaouites put an end to the tormented history of the Bou Regreg estuary. Mawlāy Rashīd gained control of the qasaba in 1666 and subjected the Hornacheros to his authority. While piracy remained active on the banks of the Bou Regreg, the Alaouite sultan established a period of calm during which the qasaba underwent major extension work. Mawlāy Rashīd extended the ramparts to the south-east and gave them two sturdy burj. He also undertook the construction of the prince’s residence and these works continued under the reign of his brother Mawlāy Ismā‘īl.

Between 1757 and 1789, Sidi Muhammad ibn ‘Abdāllah restored the qasaba’s defensive system and the reinforcement of the port to protect Rabat from Christian incursions. He also created a navy and armed troops to control piracy and regulate sea trade. However, the most important military construction was that of Burj Sqala, whose architect was the famous Muhammad al-Inglīzī. Other work was carried out in the qasaba under the reign of the sultan Mawlāy al-Yazīd (reigned 1790–1792), particularly in the warehouses dominating the semaphore platform. Lastly, Mawlāy ‘Abd al-Rahmān (reigned 1822–1859) assigned it as residence for a group of State dignitaries from the great tribe of Makilian nomads (the Sahara), called the Udayas, who the sultan gave the responsibility of the police, taxes, and the management of public affairs: the qasaba has retained their name.

[2] In memory of Mahdī Ibn Tūmart, the Almohads’ spiritual leader.

[3] The sultan often stayed there in order to welcome official delegations. The Mesmuda army also trained them to carry out the conquest of Andalusia.

[4] They were the last Muslims remaining in Spain after the fall of the Kingdom of Granada. They came from a village in south-west Spain called Hornachos, and were expelled by a decree of king Philippe II.