 He himself chose the place where it was built in 1070 and later made it the capital of his Empire.Until then, the Almoravids had been desert nomads, but the new capital marked their settling into a more urban way of life.Ibn Tumart (c. 1080 – c. 1130), was a Berber religious teacher and leader from the Masmuda tribe who spiritually founded the Almohad dynasty.