The Almoravids (Berber: ⵉⵎⵕⴰⴱⴹⴻⵏ Imṛabḍen, Arabic: المرابطون‎ Al-Murābiṭūn) were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 CE. The dynasty originated amongst the Lamtuna and the Gudala, which were nomadic Berber tribes of the Sahara traversing the territory between southern Morocco, the Niger river and the Senegal river.

The Almoravids were crucial in avoiding a precipitated fall of Al-Andalus to the Iberian Christian kingdoms, when they decisively beat a coalition of the Castilian and Aragonese armies at the Battle of Sagrajas. This enabled them to control an empire that stretched 3,000 kilometers north to south. However, the rule of the dynasty was relatively short-lived and the Almoravids fell - at the height of their power - when they failed to quell the Masmuda-led rebellion initiated by Ibn Tumart. As a result, their last king Ishaq ibn Ali was killed in Marrakesh in April 1147 CE by the Almohads who replaced them as a ruling dynasty both in Morocco and Al-Andalus.

Uqba ibn Nafi (Arabic: عقبة بن نافع‎ ‘Uqbah ibn Nāfi‘, also referred to as Oqba ibn Nafi, Uqba bin Nafe, Uqba ibn al Nafia, or Akbah; 622–683) was an Arab hero and general who was serving the Umayyad dynasty, in Amir Muavia and Yazid periods, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco in North Africa. He was the nephew of 'Amr ibn al-'As. Uqba is often surnamed al-Fihri in reference to the Banu Fihri, a clan connected to the Quraysh. His descendants would be known as the 'Oqbids' or 'Fihrids'. Uqba is the founder of the cultural city of Kairouan in Tunisia.

Uqba accompanied Al-‘As in his initial raids and capture of cities in North Africa starting with Barca, then proceeding to Tripolitania in 644 AD. In 670 now the emir or commander, Uqba led an Arab army to North Africa, crossing the Egyptian deserts, and setting up military posts at regular intervals along his route. In a region of what is now Tunisia, he established the town now called Kairouan (Kairwan or al Qayrawan, meaning "camp" or "caravanserai" in Persian) about 160 kilometres south of present-day Tunis, which he used as a base for further operations.

Joe Chambers (born June 25, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, vibraphonist and composer. He attended the Philadelphia Conservatory for one year. In the 1960s and 70s Chambers gigged with many high-profile artists such as Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, Lou Donaldson, Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Giuffre and Bobby Hutcherson. Other artists Joe Chambers has worked with in his career include Andrew Hill, Archie Shepp, Miles Davis, David Murray, Joe Henderson, Franck Amsallem and Max Roach. He has been a member of several incarnations of Roach's M'Boom percussion ensemble.

He has also taught, including at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, NY. At the school he leads the "Outlaw Band," In 2008, he was hired to be the Thomas S. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Jazz in the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

With M'Boom

With Donald Byrd

With Chick Corea

With Miles Davis

With Art Farmer

With Don Friedman

With Joe Henderson

With Andrew Hill

For the Maliki scholar see Ali ibn Qasim al-Zaqqaq.

Ali ibn Attiya ibn al-Zaqqaq (علي إبن عطيّة إبن الزقّاق البلنسي) (ca. 1100 Valencia - 1133 or 1134) was one of the great poets of Al-Andalus during the reign of the Almoravids. He came from a Moroccan, Berber family and was the nephew of Ibn Khafaja.

The patrons of Ibn al-Zaqqaq were two Valencian families, a governor, a family of Almoravid dignitaries, probably the supreme Almoravid judge of the East and perhaps the Almoravid ruler Ali ibn Yusuf himself.

(Sueno de al Zaqqaq by Luis Delgado is a CD with a collection of the works of Ibn Al-Zaqqaq set to music.)