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Dihya was a Berber queen and military leader who led indigenous resistance to the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb. She was born in Northwest Africa to a Berber tribe in the early 7th century, the region then known as Numidia.
Around this time, Muslim armies began sweeping into North Africa, having just defeated Egypt. Dihya organized a Berber resistance to the invaders in modern-day Morocco and Algeria. She fought an intense guerrilla war in Algeria and eventually annihilated the Islamic Army at the battle of Meskiana.
She organized the territories and created a state, and she became the Queen of the Berbers. However, the defeated general Hasan was determined to have his revenge. After a failed scorched earth campaign, Dihya was lured into battle against overwhelming numbers and lost her army and died in battle.
Dihya is a symbol of Berber identity and resistance to the Arabization of North Africa.
| Dihya memorial in Khenchela, Algeria |
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