BAB AGNAOU

Bab Agnaou leans on a long wall which delimits a citadel called the kasbah and it is without a doubt one of the most impressive gates of the medina of Marrakech. Contemporary of the Koutoubia, this door finely carved in a grey-blue sandstone coming from the Guéliz djebel is the national jewel of the Almohad art of the XIIth century. It is characterized by a superimposition of 4 different arches and presents an extremely rich floral decoration. On the panels are engraved verses from the Koran in kufic characters, one of the oldest forms of Arabic calligraphy which is very geometric and lends itself perfectly to the decorative arts. Above the door, a Qur'anic verse is engraved. It is said that the heads of those condemned to death were once displayed there! The defensive role was played by the neighbouring Bab er-Robb gate, which allowed the road leading to the Ourika valley to be guarded. Bab Agnaou would mean the "Gate of Aries". Its name remains mysterious, but could confirm the accepted thesis of some archaeologists that the gate was once framed by two towers that formed an elbow-shaped passage designed to confine the assailants. The second version is that Agnaou means "Black People" in Berber (like Gnaoua) because it was the gateway for the dark-skinned desert peoples. Don't miss this masterpiece on a walk or a carriage ride. And if it is winter, raise your head, because the storks find refuge there to make their nest.