In 1244, after being at their service for several years, the Marinids overthrew the Almohads which had controlled Morocco. After the Nasrids of Granada ceded the town of Algeciras to the Marinids, the Marinids supported the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus to support the ongoing struggle against the Kingdom of Castile. The Marinid dynasty then tried to extend its control to include the commercial traffic of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Marinids also strongly influenced the policy of the Emirate of Granada, from which they enlarged their army in 1275. In the 13th century, the Kingdom of Castile made several incursions into their territory. In 1260, Castilian forces raided Salé and, in 1267, initiated a full-scale invasion, but the Marinids repelled them.