Melilla

Quick Facts: Who was Melilla?

Subject:

Melilla

Known for:

Autonomous Spanish city on the North African coast, situated on the Morocco–Spain border.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Melilla (, Spanish: [meˈliʝa] ; Tarifit: Mřič) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, on the Morocco–Spain border, adjacent to the Moroccan port town of Beni Ansar, and faces the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of 14.24 km2 (5.50 sq mi).

Career & Major Achievements

The trading outpost of Rusadir was established on the current site by seafaring Phoenicians. Passed over among several powers during Antiquity and the middle ages, the place was forsaken amid strife between the Kingdoms of Fez and Tlemcen, and it was seized by Christians in 1497, constituting a condominium between the House of Medina Sidonia and the Crown of Castile until 1556.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Integrated in the Hispanic Monarchy, the fortress of Melilla la Vieja remained a military praesidium with limited civilian population for much of the early modern period. After the expansion of Melilla's perimeter to its current limits in the wake of the Treaty of Wad Ras (1860), the area in between Melilla la Vieja and the outer forts was urbanised and populated by mainland Spaniards, Sephardi Jews and Riffians, and the local economy thrived from the mining (iron ore) operations in the eastern Rif.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1497: 1497 Milestone — Passed over among several powers during Antiquity and the middle ages, the place was forsaken amid strife between the Kingdoms of Fez and Tlemcen, and it was seized by Christians in 1497, constituting a condominium between the House of Medina Sidonia and the Crown of Castile until 1556.
2. 1860: 1860 Milestone — After the expansion of Melilla's perimeter to its current limits in the wake of the Treaty of Wad Ras (1860), the area in between Melilla la Vieja and the outer forts was urbanised and populated by mainland Spaniards, Sephardi Jews and Riffians, and the local economy thrived from the mining (iron ore) operations in the eastern Rif.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Melilla

True or False: “True or false: Melilla's modern expansion to its current boundaries was primarily due to the Treaty of Wad Ras in 1860.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The Treaty of Wad Ras in 1860 was pivotal, leading to the expansion of Melilla's perimeter and subsequent urbanization of the area.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Emperor Go-Nara — Historical peer (Born in 1497) (1497): The 105th Emperor of Japan who reigned during the tumultuous Sengoku period.
• Hans Holbein the Younger — Historical peer (Born in 1497) (1497): Master portraitist of the Northern Renaissance, renowned for his skill in capturing human likeness.
• Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan — Historical peer (Born in 1556) (1556): Renowned Mughal court poet and minister, celebrated for his 'dohe' couplets.
• Carlo Maderno — Historical peer (Born in 1556) (1556): Pioneering Italian architect, considered a father of Baroque style.
• Aleksey Khomyakov — Historical peer (Died in 1860) (1860): Founding theoretician of the Slavophile movement in Russian philosophy.
• Alphonse Mucha — Historical peer (Born in 1860) (1860): Master of Art Nouveau, famed for decorative posters and The Slav Epic.

Frequently Asked Questions about Melilla