An overview of Marrakech – Part 11

Places not to miss – continued,

The City Walls and Gates

The city walls date from the 1120s when, under threat of attack from the Almohads of the south, the ruling Almoravid sultan, Ali Ben Youssef decided to encircle his garrison town with fortifications. The walls he had built were up to 30 feet high and formed a circuit round the city of 6 miles. These walls were dotted with numerous towers and 18 gates. There have been changes made to accommodate motor vehicles but the walls remain mostly in their original state.

Walking a circuit around the outside of the walls is tiring and can be unpleasant as they are edged by major roads. It is much better to visit the gates individually or in my opinion, the best way is to view the walls is by a calèche which is the horse-drawn carriage that you can find in the main square. You can take a complete circuit for the equivalent of a five dollars. If you take a calèche ride around the walls, make sure that you carry bottled water, as it can get hot and dusty.

Marrakech’s distinctive colouring is from pigments in the local soil. The walls have traditionally been constructed from a mixture of mud, straw and lime known as pies. This becomes as hard as brick when it has dried. In the last century when this was threatened by new materials the ruling French decreed that all new buildings be painted pink. This rule continues to be in force even today.

The best gates to see are:-

Bab Agnaou

This most possibly the best city gate, known as the “Gate of the Gnawa”, it is the only one made of stone. It was erected during Almohad sultan Yacoub El Mansour’s reign.

Bab El Rob

This was the original southern city gate. The gatehouse building is now occupied by a pottery shop and all traffic now passes through a modern cutting in the old walls.

Bab Doukkala

This massive gate built by the Almoravids in the 12th century now stands isolated from the walls, thanks to 20th- century urban planning. The large interior rooms are sometimes used for events.

Bab Berrima

Apart from being perimeter defences, other walls and gates divided up the interior of the medina. There is a wall which separated the royal Kasbah quarter from the city and Bab Berrima was one of the gates between those two distinct zones.

Bab Debbagh

This gate gives access to the tanneries, and its interior is sometimes open to visitors. If it is you can ascend an internal staircase to the gatehouse roof for views of the whole city.

Bab El Khemis

This is the most northerly of the gates and is also the most decorative, with a semi-circle of stalactite mouldings arcing over the entranceway.

Continued in part 12