In the following article the birth of the Almoravide empire is viewed in the light of the considerable part played by the Zaouias in Morocco's history .

In the eleventh century a Berber pilgrim ;Yahia Ben Brahim El Gedali, Sanhaja of the Western Sahara [1] back from Mecca had made a halt at Kairouan in order to be initiated by a scholar from Fez to the mysticism of a sufi from Bagdad (Abu Kassem El Jounaid). Once his initiation completed the pilgrim invited his master to return to Morocco with him so as to spread out his teaching among the Berber tribes , the scholar declined the offer but recommended his pupil to one of his disciples head of a small Zaouia of oued N' fis in the High Atlas ( Dar el Mrabtine ). The latter agreed on giving him one of his disciples (Abdallah Ben Yassine) who went along with him to the Western Sahara where he founded a Ribat (on an Island off the Saharan coast ) to deliver his teaching. His followers (the Murabitun) set out to convert (by force) to orthodox Islam of Malekite rite all the heretics, focusing their attacks primarily on all objects likely to lead people astray (music instruments , places where fermented beverages were fabricated) thereby they increased their prestige and the number of their followers. When they felt strong enough they set out to conquer the country taking first Aghmat capital of the Maghraoua, then they directed their forces against the Berghouata of Tamesna (A. Ben Yassine was to loose his life during the campaign against the Berghouata whom they had vanquished but not totally crushed ). Abu Bekr Ben Omar who had succeeded to Yahia Ben Brahim entrusted Youssef ben Tachfine with the leadership and retreated into the Sahara where it seems the various Sahanja Berber tribes true to their traditions had started again to wage war one on the other.

Youssef Ben Tachfine devout prince and admirable warrior is the first Almoravid emperor and the founder of Marakech in 1062 . He completed the conquest of the major part of today's Morocco and Mauritania and the East of Algeria and organised the administration of this immense empire . The chroniclers have related to us the fact that he was effectively helped and advised in achieving this task by his wife Zainab Annafzaouia who had been the wife of the Maghraoua prince of Aghmat ( defeated by Y.Ben Tachfine) and of Ben Tachfine’s predecessor Abu Bekr Ben Omar at the head of the Almoravid fighters .

In 1086 Youssef Ben Tachfine gave help to the Muslim principalities of Andalucia ( which had arisen from the crumbling down of the Spanish Arab empire ) threatened once more by a Christian conquest. He crushed the latter at Zellaqa (close to Badajoz in Spain) . After which he annexed to his empire these principalities and sent into exile (at Aghmat) the brightest of their princes Al Mu'tamid king of Sevilla and famous poet.