The city walls of Marrakech     par Majid Qotbi          

Truly the cultural and identity-bearing backbone of the Red City, the 20 kilometres of fortified walls of Marrakech tell a thrilling story that began several times ago.

Happy is he who knows where the city walls of Marrakech begin and where they end. As infinite links in a chain, the doors, stretching along  ochre-coloured walls over a length of 20 kilometres, are effectively linked in an uncertain order that seems to escape the contraints of time, even space.                                                

The only thing that is certain the birth date of these walls. According to a historian of Marrakech, Hamid Triki, it "dates back to1126, the year work began on this structure built over ten years during the reign of King Almoravide Ali Ibn Youssouf, the son of the founder of Marrakech, Youssouf Ibn Tachfine."

Advised by the great Cadi (judge) of Cordoba, Abu Al Walid Ibn Rochd, the grandfather of Averroes, Ali Ibn Youssouf desired at the time to erect  a kind of defensive barrier to fight off the threats from the tribes of the Grat Atlas mountain chain, stirred up by the nascent Almohades dynasty. Afterwards the city walls would undergo various restructurings and reinforcements.

According to the myths

" We  know for certain that the city walls of Marrakech did not measure any more than nine kilometres at their inception. We also know that the ancient doors were codemned while new ones were inaugurated through the centuries and the walls encercling the modern-day Kasbah ant the Agdal were added during the respective reigns of the Saadiens and the Alaouites. As for the rest, on the other hand, it is just speculation more or less faithful to the actuals facts," clarifies Hami Triki. The "rest" that the historian speaks of are the thousand and one legends linked to the history of the city walls of Marrakech.

Among these legends, the most celebrated, because it is the one that is  the most often trotted out, is without a doubt that of  the crows. Related in  Gaston          Deverdun's work of reference, "Marrakech from its Origins to 1912", myth recounts than when Sultan Ali Ben Youssef wanted to build the city walls at the beginning of  the 12th century, he asked his astrologer, as was customary at the time, to indicate him the fortuitous date to begin building work.
The astrologer demanded that a rope be pulled taught along the layout of the future walls and to position masons around it. " When the conjunction of the stars is favourable, I will make the rope vibrate ant the masons may begin building immediately," concluded the astrologer.

But one day, a flock of crows landed on the rope, which in turn vibrated; Thinking that this was the agreed upon ignal, the masons began the construction of  their work  conjunction beneath an unlucky of the stars. Aware of the error, Sultan decreed in a burst of  fatalism that the work, however, must carry on to put themselves into the hand of the lord. A few years later, the walls would fall to the repeated attacks of the Almohades who captured Marrakech........

 A marvel of architecture

Even today, this story comes back each time a portion of the walls gives in to rigorous weather conditions. The leitmotiv continues to be brought up by the inhabitants of Marrakech to explain the relative fragility of the walls of their city. Built of pise ( a mixture of earth and limi), a material that is far less costly but also less sturdy than granite for instance, the city walls of Marrakech have suffered on several occasions throughout their rich history from climate conditions. This did not stop them from their longwalk through time which has lasted now for nine centuries.

"Lacking a framework, the walls, built of the same materials as the traditionnal Kasbahs of southern Morroco, constitute a real architectural miracle. Despite its apparent vulnerability, this work has resisted time, giving up just a few pieces from one century to another. A true defiance!" states, filled with admiration, the architect Hicham El Harti.  Today, the walls of a height of about eight to ten meters and a with of two to three meters, extend of about 20 kilometres, lined with about 100 turrets and nine principle doors. Collectively called "bab", the doors where christened according to their geographic orientation or for certain guilds.

 Door to door

Among the most celebrated of the doors, Bab Doukkala owes its name to its geographic location leading to the road to the land of the Doukkala. Once known as the door Fez, for it leads to the road to the imperial city, Bab Khmiss (Thursday) was renamed as such for the market that is held each Thursday. As forBab Debagh, it inherits its name from the neighbourhood of the Debbagha (tanners) to which it grants access. The same goes for Bab Arrob which derives its name from the neighbourhood where arobe, a once very popular sweet liqueur wine, had been made. Simple still Bab Jdid (new), located near the mythical luxury hotel La Mamounia, isso called because of its recent construction date.

Things, however, become a little more complicated concerning the origin of the name of Bab Agnaou, without a doute the  most beautiful and moet formidable of the 20 doors of rhe walls. According to Hamid Triki: "This name could have various origins. In Berber it means a ram without horns, which lets one presume that the name was given to this door after it lost its two turrets. In Arab, it is akin to the word "àqnà" which means basin. And as it happens a basin was located near the Almohad Kasbah to which Bab Agnaou leads"  

And  in addition to that is the African theory. Approching the term "Gnaoua" which designated Guineans specifically and sub-saharians Africans in general, the word "agnaou" effectively could have drawn its inspirition from the African caravans that crossed Morocco in great numbers at the time.

But without a written record on the subject, the mystery remains intact.

Another enigma to mediate upon during a stroll in the shadows of these walls, decidedly unfathomable!

Many thanks to Majid Qotbi

Bab Agnaou