Bab Agnaou – Among Marrakech’s 19 Famous Traditional Gates

A lot of people who go to Morocco with among our epic Egypt and Morocco Tours find yourself spending a couple of days in the imperial town of Marrakech, not minimum mainly because there are many exciting Marrakech attractions, among that is Bab Agnaou. Once the old town of Marrakech was initially founded, it had been surrounded by protective wall space which featured a complete of 19 massive gates by which the city could possibly be accessed.

Wall space and façade of Bab Agnaou, Marrakech.

Bab Agnaou, that was among the original gates, is situated on the southern aspect of the old town of Marrakech, and faces towards Sub-Saharan Africa.

Today, most vacationers who elect to visit attractions like the Saadian Tombs and the El-Badi Palace, will go through the imposing Bab Agnaou gate.

The façade which surrounds the giant horseshoe-shaped archway includes a combination of rock and brick, and contains already been decorated with inscriptions from the Quran and different floral adornments.

There isn’t particularly much to observe at the gate, nonetheless it makes for an excellent photo-taking possibility.

Its impressive dimension and design, in conjunction with its very easy location, have managed to get probably the most visited places of interest in Marrakech, and you may even think it is featured in a number of of our Egypt and Morocco tours.

The gate’s rock segments are nowadays in a somewhat bad state and are gradually decaying, in part due to the building materials that have been used once the gate was built, and in addition due to present day polluting of the environment.

However, once you visit the web site, you can easily imagine how this amazing this entrance could have appeared in its heyday.

While Bab Agnaou might not be probably the most thrilling Morocco places of interest, it really is the one that most people to Marrakech are certain to get to notice while exploring the town.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW of Bab Agnaou

Façade of Bab Agnaou.

Bab Agnaou was initially constructed through the 12th century when Morocco had been ruled by the Almohad Dynasty.

At no time had been Bab Agnaou the primary entrance to the town. Instead, another gate known as Bab Er Robb has been used because the official entry to the town.

Nevertheless, Bab Agnaou provided immediate access to the Royal Kasbah that was built-in the southern area of the city’s medina by an Almohad sultan known as Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur.

There’s some debate concerning how the gate obtained its name.

Some individuals believe “Agnaou” originates from the term “agnaw,” a Berber term which means “deaf guy mute man.” This expression was furthermore used to spell it out anyone who couldn’t realize and speak the Berber vocabulary. All non-Berber individuals were known as Agnaw, however in most situations, it used to described the black folks of Sub-Saharan Africa. This concept will be strengthened by the truth that Agnaou faces south towards Sub-Saharan Africa.

Others argue that the title originates from a Berber phrase this means a mute ram without horns. However, in a few traditional writings, the gate had been called Bab el-Kuḥel which once again is a direct mention of black people.

Going to Bab Agnaou

Since there is not actually a good deal to discover at Bab Agnaou, we certainly recommend visiting the website, and especially because it is indeed conveniently located. Irrespective of which of our Egypt and Morocco Tours you select, you will probably reach see this appeal.

Sites like the Royal Palace and the Saadien Tombs generally rank quite on top of the list of areas to find in Marrakech for some visitors, and the ultimate way to accessibility these sites is usually via Bab Agnaou. It isn’t an especially exciting attraction, nonetheless it is still an excellent someone to visit.