As Dansalan

Dansalan began as a port area.^[11]

Old Marawi municipal hall

Around the original Meranaw fortification, Spanish captain Francisco Atienza founded a settlement called Dansalan in October 1639. His forces had come from Iligan and were attempting to conquer the entire Lake Lanao area. However, it was abandoned later the same year when thousands of Meranaw soldiers invested the then-fortifying settlement, pressing the Spaniards hard and thus they returned to Iligan, having failed in their quest.^[12]

The Spaniards only returned to the area when they began the conquest of the Sultanate of Maguindanao in the 19th century.^[12] They made attempts to capture fort Marahui, the stronghold of the Maranao, twice until they succeeded in 1895 with the deaths of Datu Amai Pakpak and Datu Sinal.^[14] They abandoned the place again upon the arrival of the Americans in the country in 1898.^[12][14]

Dansalan was created as a municipality by the Moro Province legislative council on May 24, 1907;^[13][15] served as the capital of the undivided Lanao province since its declaration by the American Colonial Government.^[10][11]

A sovereign of Marawi before 1639 was "Datu Buadi Sa Kayo" who imposed taxation.

It was in this municipality when, on March 18, 1935, a group of 189 Maranao leaders and its leader, Hadji Abdulhamid Bongabong of Unayan, signed a document known as the Dansalan Declaration, urging then United States President Franklin Roosevelt and its Congress to grant Mindanao and Sulu separate independence by the US instead of inclusion in the country's independence.^[14][16]

Cityhood (1940), renaming as Marawi (1956), and later developments

Skyline of Marawi in 2008

Dansalan was the last to become a chartered city under the country's Commonwealth era with the approval of Commonwealth Act No. 592 on August 19, 1940.^[11][17] During World War II, the Japanese invaded Dansalan and established a "comfort station" in the city, where local girls, teenagers, and young adults were kidnapped and turned into sex slaves under brutal "comfort women" system, where victims were routinely gang-raped and killed by Japanese soldiers.^[18][19][20] After the Second World War, inauguration took place on September 30, 1950.^[21] It was renamed Marawi City on June 16, 1956 through Republic Act (RA) No. 1552 which amended the charter.^{[11][22][10][13]}

Upon division of Lanao province through RA No. 2228 in 1959, it was made capital of Lanao del Sur.^[11][23]

The city, being the country's only predominantly Muslim chartered city, was declared "Islamic City of Marawi" through City Council Resolution No. 19-A on April 15, 1980.^[10][11][13] This was proposed by Parliamentary Bill No. 261 in the defunct Batasang Pambansa, the country's former parliament during the Marcos regime, reportedly to attract funds from the Middle East.^[7]

Siege of Marawi (2017)

The Marawi Grand Mosque after the 2017 siege.

On May 23, 2017, a pro–Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group called the Maute group attacked the city. The battle of Marawi—also known as the Marawi siege, the Marawi clash, and the Marawi crisis—started on May 23. CNN Philippines reported that the militants had over 500 men.^[24] Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law on the island of Mindanao, where the fighting was taking place, initially until December 31, 2017,^[25] but was later extended to the end of 2018 and then again to the end of 2019.^[25][26] The city was liberated from militant control on October 17, 2017 and battle operations officially ended on October 23, 2017.

Post-battle period

On January 30, 2018, it was announced that a 10-hectare military base will be established in the city to prevent the reentry of terrorists.^[27]

2023 creation of additional barangays

On March 18, 2023, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) held plebiscites in the city to create two barangays. The plebiscites for the establishment of Boganga II out of Boganga (City Ordinance 07-010 series of 2022), and Datu Dalidigan out of Sagonsongan (City Ordinance 05-010 series of 2022), marked the first exclusively local electoral exercise in the city post-siege.^[28][29]

The plebiscites were held in two barangays, a school in each, with 5 polling precincts.^[30] With 96.88% of registered voters participated, majority of them later separately ratified both city ordinances.^[31][32]

Plebiscite for the creation of Barangay Boganga II

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	948	99.79
No	2	0.21
Total votes	950	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	992	95.77%
Source: COMELEC via Rappler news article.

Plebiscite for the creation of Barangay Datu Dalidigan

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	473	99.37
No	3	0.63
Total votes	476	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	480	99.17%
Source: COMELEC via Rappler news article.

Meanwhile, COMELEC explained that these new villages, whose creation is expected to be done in the later months, will not be contested in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October.^[33]

Topography

Mountains, rolling hills, valleys, and a large placid lake dominate the city's landscape. Angoyao Hills (Barangay Sogod) served as natural viewpoint over the water of the Lake Lanao. Signal Hill (Barangay Matampay), Arumpac Hill (Barangay Saduc), and Mt. Mupo (Barangay Guimba) are considered beautiful but mysterious. Mt. Mupo, located within the Sacred Mountain National Park, is known for its untouched trees and beautiful, perfect cone.

Barangays

Marawi is politically subdivided into 98 barangays.^[32][38] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Climate

Marawi's weather is warm and wet throughout the year. With the elevation along Lake Lanao at around 2,300 feet (700 m),^[3] this raised altitude together frequent heavy showers at all seasons, ensures that hot conditions are seldom observed.

Language

Maranao or Meranaw is widely spoken in Marawi; however, local inhabitants can also speak Maguindanao, Iranun, English and Tagalog.

Religion

Marawi Grand Mosque

Dansalan Bato Mosque

Marawi is predominantly a Muslim city, with Muslims accounting for 99.6% of the population.^[7]