Ifriqiya

Ifriqiya Arab إفريقية, إفريقيا, DMG Ifriqiya, Ifriqiya is the medieval Arabic term for the areas of Tunisia, eastern Algeria and Tripolitania. It thus covers the same area as the Roman province of Africa, which is also derived Ifriqiya.

The Maghreb lying west of it was called al - maghrib al - Awsat ( " key west ", about Algeria) and al - maghrib al - aqsa ( " further west ", today's Morocco). In modern Arabic Ifriqiya referred to the entire continent of Africa.

The country was subjected 663-703 in protracted struggles of the Muslim Arabs under Uqba ibn Nafi, Hassan ibn al - Numan ibn Musa and Nusayr. In particular, the Berber tribes united under Kusaila ibn Lemzem and al- Kahina rendered fierce resistance. Even after the submission, there was no calming of the country, because now the riots broke out, inter alia, Kharijites under Abu al - Khattab al - Maafiri. Only towards the end of the 8th century, the situation in the province calmed.

During and shortly after the Muslim conquest of North Africa, the entire Maghreb and Andalusia was ruled by governors in Ifriqiya, the to 705 was under his hand, the governor of Egypt. Capital of the region was initially Kairouan, the 10th century al - Mahdiya, which was replaced in the 13th century Tunis. Under the Muslim rule, it came to the economic and cultural development of the country. Ifriqiya was the starting point for the extensive Arabization of the Berber tribes of the Maghreb.

Because of the large distance of the kingdom of Ifriqiya center in Iraq already won the governorship of Muhallabiten independence from the Abbasids. After its collapse, the Abbasids had to leave it out over the Aghlabids 800 ( 800-909 ). Until the 16th century was followed by the Fatimids ( 909-973 ), the Zirids ( 973-1152 ), the Almohads ( 1152-1229 ) and the Hafsids ( 1229-1574 ) before the Ottomans were able to assert their supremacy and Tunisia, its present boundaries obtained.