What does the name Bab Agnaou mean?

Bab means 'gate' in Arabic. The word 'agnaou' is thought to be of Berber origin and its exact meaning is debated; historically reported readings include 'mute' and, later, a reference to Black people or the Gnawa. In the Almohad period the gate was also called Bab al-Qsar, the gate of the palace.

Is there a fee to visit Bab Agnaou?

No. Bab Agnaou is an open-air public monument on the edge of the kasbah, free to see and walk through at any time. It sits about a 10-minute walk south of Jemaa el-Fnaa and pairs naturally with the nearby Saadian Tombs and Kasbah Mosque.

MARRAKECH · LOCATIONS

Bab Agnaou

Marrakech's only surviving Almohad gate, the ornate 12th-century entrance to the kasbah

Chat with us

Marrakechlocations

Bab Agnaou, Marrakech

Marrakech's only surviving Almohad gate, the ornate 12th-century entrance to the kasbah

Bab Agnaou is the best-known and most ornate of Marrakech's medina gates, and the only one surviving from the Almohad period. Built under caliph Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur around 1188–1190 as the ceremonial entrance to the royal kasbah, it is faced in bluish-grey sandstone carved with concentric arches and a band of Kufic Quranic calligraphy.

Location

Marrakech

FAQs

Bab Agnaou is a monumental medieval gate in Marrakech, built under the Almohad caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur around 1188–1190 as the ceremonial entrance to the royal kasbah. It is the only city gate surviving from the Almohad period and is known for its carved sandstone arches and Kufic Quranic inscription.