Bab Agnaou
باب أكناوBab Agnaou, Marrakech: the carved Almohad stone gate of about 1188 into the Kasbah, beside the Saadian Tombs. Free to see at any hour.
Bab Agnaou is the gate into the Kasbah, the royal quarter in the south of the medina. Unlike the plain earth gates around the city, it is faced in carved sandstone.
It is attributed to the Almohad caliph Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur and was finished around 1188 to 1190, as the main public entrance to his new citadel. It stands inside the city walls, so it was built more for show than defence.
Look at the bands of radiating lines and interlacing arches around the horseshoe arch, the carved shells in the floral corners, and the frieze of foliated Kufic letters with verses from the Quran. A smaller brick arch now partly fills the opening.
It takes five minutes. Cars, mopeds and calèches squeeze through the arch, so stand to one side for photographs.
Good to know
- The Saadian Tombs are just behind the Kasbah Mosque, a two-minute walk through the gate.
- Watch for traffic: the arch is still a road.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org