Capture of Fez
Encyclopedia
The Capture of Fez occurred in 1576 at the Moroccan
city of Fez
, when an Ottoman Empire
force from Algiers
supported Abd al-Malek
in gaining the throne of Morocco
against his nephew and rival claimant Mulay Muhammed. About 10,000 Ottoman soldiers participated to the campaign. This campaign followed a short-lived Ottoman capture of Fez in 1554.
Abd al-Malek won over his rival at the battle of ar-Rukn, also er-Roken. Mulay Muhammed fled to Marrakesh and would continue resisting Abd al-Malek for a long time.
Abd al-Malek entered Fez victoriously in March 1576.
Abd al-Malek recognized the Ottoman sultan Murad III
as his Caliph
, and reorganized his army on Ottoman lines and adopted Ottoman customs, but negotiated for the Ottoman troops to leave his country, in exchange for a large payment in gold.
Meanwhile, Mulay Muhammed fled to Spain
and then Portugal
, when Sebastian of Portugal
promised to help him regain his throne. This led to an expedition and the Battle of Ksar El Kebir in 1578, which was a considerable defeat for the Portuguese and reinforced the power of Abd al-Malek.
These events left the Ottomans in a very strong position in the Maghreb
, becoming a direct threat the Spanish heartland.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
city of Fez
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, when an Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
force from Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
supported Abd al-Malek
Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I Saadi
Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I , often simply Abd al-Malik or Mulay Abdelmalek, was the Saadi Sultan of Morocco from 1576 until his death right after the Battle of Ksar El Kebir against Portugal in 1578.-Saadi Prince:...
in gaining the throne of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
against his nephew and rival claimant Mulay Muhammed. About 10,000 Ottoman soldiers participated to the campaign. This campaign followed a short-lived Ottoman capture of Fez in 1554.
Abd al-Malek won over his rival at the battle of ar-Rukn, also er-Roken. Mulay Muhammed fled to Marrakesh and would continue resisting Abd al-Malek for a long time.
Abd al-Malek entered Fez victoriously in March 1576.
Abd al-Malek recognized the Ottoman sultan Murad III
Murad III
Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...
as his Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
, and reorganized his army on Ottoman lines and adopted Ottoman customs, but negotiated for the Ottoman troops to leave his country, in exchange for a large payment in gold.
Meanwhile, Mulay Muhammed fled to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and then Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, when Sebastian of Portugal
Sebastian of Portugal
Sebastian "the Desired" was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain...
promised to help him regain his throne. This led to an expedition and the Battle of Ksar El Kebir in 1578, which was a considerable defeat for the Portuguese and reinforced the power of Abd al-Malek.
These events left the Ottomans in a very strong position in the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
, becoming a direct threat the Spanish heartland.