Abu Abdallah Muhammad al-Burtuqali

محمد البرتغالي الوطاسي (Known as "Muhammad al-Burtuqali")

Wattasid Sultan of Morocco

Born 1464

Asilah, Morocco

Passed Away 1526 Fez, Morocco

Lifespan 62 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Captivity in foreign courts became the schoolhouse for resisting their fleets."

Archival Overview

Wattasid Sultan (1504–1526) who earned his epithet 'al-Burtuqali' after spending seven years as a hostage in Portugal, later leading Moroccan military resistance against Portuguese Atlantic garrisons.

Biographical Record

Muhammad al-Burtuqali was captured as a young boy when Portuguese forces sacked Asilah in 1471. Held in Lisbon for seven years until ransomed by his father Muhammad al-Shaykh, he learned fluent Portuguese and gained intimate knowledge of Iberian military doctrines.

Succeeding to the throne in 1504, he mounted protracted sieges against Portuguese-held Asilah, Safi, and Tangier. His reign saw the dramatic rise of the Saadian shurafa in the Sous, creating a dynamic internal rivalry that reshaped Morocco's political geography.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Wattasid Cemetery of Fez
Fez, Morocco

                         GPS: 34.0652, -4.9762                    

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