Khalifa (Morocco)

In the Sultanate of Morocco, a Khalifa (Arabic: خليفة, "deputy" or "steward"; sometimes translated as "viceroy") was a high-level official who reported directly to the Sultan. Specifically, in the Spanish protectorate in Morocco from 1912 to 1956, the Khalifa (Spanish: Jalifa) represented the authority of the Sultan and was directly in charge of the affairs of the Muslim and Jewish communities, similarly as the Mendoub in the Tangier International Zone.

Khalifa Hassan Ben el Mehedi Ben Ismael in Ksar el-Kebir, 1934

Etymology

The Khalifa's title is the same Arabic word as for the ancient title of Caliph.

Residence

The Palace of the Khalifa in Tétouan is preserved within what is now the Royal Palace of Tétouan, where it is adjacent to the former residence of the Spanish High Commissioners. It is not open to the public.

Another property of the Khalifa, a hilltop villa in Tétouan's northern neighborhood of Touilaa, was in a dilapidated state but still standing as of 2021.[1]

List of Khalifas in Tétouan
  • Mohammed Mehedi Uld Ben Ismael (1913-1923)
  • Hassan Ben el Mehedi Ben Ismael (1924-1956)

See also

References
  1. Jesús Cabaleiro (17 June 2021). "Abandono del histórico Palacio del Jalifa y sus jardines en Tetuán". diariocalledeagua.com.


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