Beni Mellal (Arabic: بني ملال) is a city in north-central Morocco. It is the capital of the Béni Mellal-Khénifra Region and has a population of 192,676 (2014 census).[1] It sits at the foot of Jbel Tassemit (2247 m), next to the plains of Beni Amir. The modern town dates back to 1688, when Moulay Isma'il founded a kasbah (fort).[2]
Beni Mellal
بني ملال | |
|---|---|
  | |
  Beni Mellal Location in Morocco  Beni Mellal Beni Mellal (Africa) | |
| Coordinates: 32°20′22″N 6°21′39″W / 32.33944°N 6.36083°W | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Béni Mellal-Khénifra |
| Province | Beni Mellal |
| Elevation | 620 m (2,030 ft) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 209,676 |
| • Rank | 17th in Morocco |
| • Metro | 447,330 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Postal code | 23000 |
| Website | www.communebenimellal.ma |
History
editHistorical Arabic sources do not offer clear details about this site during the medieval period.[2] Hiṣn Daī (Arabic: حصن دائي), 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.[3][2][4] It was later captured by the Almohads in 1141.[3]
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.[2] In 1918, the town had a recorded population of approximately 3,000.[3] During the Protectorate, authorities invested in the area's agricultural infrastructure, which helped the city grow into a major urban centre.[2] Today it is also regional administrative center.[3]
Climate
editBeni 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.[citation needed] 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 (20 in) per year, snow can also fall in winter.[citation needed]
| Climate data for Beni Mellal (1991-2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.6 (81.7) |
32.0 (89.6) |
35.8 (96.4) |
37.5 (99.5) |
42.4 (108.3) |
45.5 (113.9) |
46.1 (115.0) |
46.0 (114.8) |
42.4 (108.3) |
39.2 (102.6) |
33.5 (92.3) |
29.5 (85.1) |
46.1 (115.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.1 (64.6) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.6 (72.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
29.1 (84.4) |
34.0 (93.2) |
37.8 (100.0) |
37.5 (99.5) |
31.9 (89.4) |
28.0 (82.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
19.1 (66.4) |
27.1 (80.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.9 (58.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
21.2 (70.2) |
25.5 (77.9) |
28.9 (84.0) |
28.8 (83.8) |
24.6 (76.3) |
20.5 (68.9) |
15.1 (59.2) |
11.8 (53.2) |
19.3 (66.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.9 (37.2) |
4.4 (39.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
9.9 (49.8) |
13.3 (55.9) |
17.0 (62.6) |
19.8 (67.6) |
20.1 (68.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.7 (45.9) |
4.5 (40.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.0 (21.2) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
8.5 (47.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
13.8 (56.8) |
7.5 (45.5) |
4.3 (39.7) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 33.9 (1.33) |
34.2 (1.35) |
43.0 (1.69) |
36.7 (1.44) |
20.0 (0.79) |
3.5 (0.14) |
1.6 (0.06) |
1.2 (0.05) |
7.2 (0.28) |
35.6 (1.40) |
53.4 (2.10) |
40.0 (1.57) |
310.3 (12.2) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 41.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA[5] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: BBC Weather (rainfall)[6] | |||||||||||||
Transport
editBeni Mellal is served by Beni Mellal Airport.
Education
editIn Beni Mellal is located Sultan Moulay Slimane University.
Notable people
edit- Abde Ezzalzouli - Professional footballer
- Hicham Sigueni - Long-distance runner
- Mohamed El Badraoui - Former footballer
Gallery
edit-
-
El Kasbah Ain Asserdoun Beni Mellal -
-
Sultan Moulay Slimane University
References
edit- ^ "POPULATION LÉGALE DES RÉGIONS, PROVINCES, PRÉFECTURES, MUNICIPALITÉS, ARRONDISSEMENTS ET COMMUNES DU ROYAUME D'APRÈS LES RÉSULTATS DU RGPH 2014" (in Arabic and French). High Commission for Planning, Morocco. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Boum, Aomar; Park, Thomas K. (2016). "Béni Mellal". Historical Dictionary of Morocco. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-4422-6297-3.
- ^ a b c d Deverdun, Gaston (2004). "Benī Mellāl". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XII: Supplement. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 132. ISBN 978-90-04-13974-9.
- ^ Garcia-Arenal, Mercedes; Moreno, Eduardo Manzano (1998). "Légitimité et villes idrissides". In Cressier, Patrice; Garcia-Arenal, Mercedes (eds.). Genèse de la ville islamique en al-Andalus et au Maghreb occidental (in French). Casa de Velázquez; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). p. 277. ISBN 978-84-00-07766-2.
- ^ "Beni Mellal Climate Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Average Conditions tetoaun, Morocco". BBC Weather. Archived from the original on 2009-01-21. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
External links
edit- Lexicorient Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Monographie de la Ville de Beni Mellal (in French)