About This Project

The purpose, people, and principles behind the Ouchene Digital Archive

The House of Ouchene: A Digital Chronicle

The House of Ouchene is a permanent digital archive dedicated to preserving and publishing the history of the Ouchene (أوشن) dynasty, a noble lineage rooted in the Oriental Rif of Morocco, whose documented heritage spans more than twelve centuries: from the House of Wisdom in Baghdad to the ravines of the Beni Said.

This website exists to make the 275-page private archive assembled by Hassan Ouchen (رحمه الله) accessible to historians, researchers, genealogists, and descendants worldwide. The archive contains royal Dahirs from the Alawite Sultans, allodial land deeds (Mulk certificates), diplomatic correspondence with the Spanish Comandancia General de Melilla, genealogical scrolls (Sajaras), and intelligence reports from the era of the Rif Wars, materials that together document an unbroken tradition of sovereign governance in northern Morocco.

The project was initiated and is led by Omar Ouchene, son of Ali Ouchene and great-grandson of Caíd Mohamed Amar Ouchene, born and raised in the Netherlands. Working alongside family members in Morocco and the Netherlands, Omar used modern AI translation tools to render the Classical Arabic and Spanish sources into English, French, Dutch, and Spanish for the first time.

The site is intended for academic researchers studying Rif history, Moroccan genealogy, or Spanish colonial history; for descendants of the Ouchene lineage seeking to understand their heritage; and for anyone interested in the civilizational contributions of Moroccan noble families to the broader history of the Mediterranean world. A full republication of the archive in written and filmed form is forthcoming.

All content published here is based on primary sources, corroborated by the work of historian Abdelmajid Benjelloun and the archives of the Spanish Military Command of Melilla. The website places this sovereignty permanently beyond the reach of fire, humidity, or political suppression.

275

Pages in the primary archive

12+

Centuries of documented lineage

5

Languages of publication

For academic inquiries, research collaboration, or media requests:

Contact the Archive

OUCHENE

· أوشن

Lords of the Barranco, Guardians of the Oriental Rif. A noble lineage rooted in Morocco. The 275-page archive was assembled and preserved by Hassan Ouchen (رحمه الله). It has since been digitized by Omar Ouchene and family members in Morocco and the Netherlands, with a full republication in written and filmed form forthcoming.

Sources

Benjelloun, A.: Fragments of History of the Oriental Rif

Hassan Ouchen Archive, 275 pages (رحمه الله)

El Alminar de Melilla (2021)

© 2026 Ouchene (أوشن). All rights reserved.