K'Anne Meinel

Sayyida K'Anne Meinel

Sayyida, variously known as a pirate queen, Queen of the Western Seas, or Queen of Tétouan was a REAL and HISTORICAL figure, but not much is known of her. Sayyida married young, just sixteen, at the insistence of her father. Her first husband was thirty years older and a friend of her father's. Al-Mandri sensed his bride's intelligence and taught her about his business affairs and diplomacy. Together, the couple rebuilt Tétouan, which had been destroyed by the Reconquista, and when her husband died in 1515, she became the Governor or Queen of Tétouan in her own right. Later, Sayyida was pursued by the King of Fes, Ahmed al-Wattsi, and accepted his marriage proposal, but on her terms: he had to travel to her kingdom to marry her, not the other way around. Sayyida's love of the high seas and her appetite for battle and conquest often clash with her duties as wife, mother, and queen. As hardworking as she is, Sayyida feels an emptiness in her life. Will Aya, her new slave, silence this longing? Join us as this fictional version of a real woman takes you into her world and captures your heart....