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Bab el-Hadid, a small arched opening under a crenellated gable in the plastered south-western wall of Fes el-Bali

باب الحديد

Bab el-Hadid

Bab el-Hadid, "the Iron Gate", is a small gate in the south-western wall of Fes el-Bali. The quarter behind it was once mostly gardens and large houses, so for most of its history no main road led to it.

Plan a day from this gateRead its story

The Iron Gate, once opening onto gardens and mansions.Plan a day from this gate

  • Fes el-Bali, south-western wall
  • Also written Bab Lhadid, Bab Hadid, Bab el-Haddid
Bab el-Hadid, Fes. Photo: Robert Prazeres, CC BY-SA 4.0

The story of Bab el-Hadid

The gate is in the south-western part of the walls. Before the 20th century this part of the old city was not densely built and was mostly gardens and mansions of wealthy Fassi families, so no major roads led to it. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

A 2022 La Vie Éco walk-through links the gate's quarter to Jnane al-Ouchaq, a garden once known for performances of melhoun and Andalusian music. lavieeco.com (source, opens in a new tab)

Some local sources give 859 as the date of the gate. Arabic Wikipedia notes that this date has not been checked against a specialist historical source. ar.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

Where Bab el-Hadid is

Pinned on OpenStreetMap, with the walks from the gate to the places nearest it. Each one links to its own guide.

فاس الباليFes el-BaliTalaa Kebira · الطالعة الكبيرةباب بوجلودBab Boujloudباب المحروقBab Mahroukباب عجيسةBab Guissaباب الفتوحBab Ftouhباب الجديدBab JdidالقرويينQarawiyyinالشوارةChouaraالرصيفRcifعدوة الأندلسAndalusian bankقبور المرينيينMerinid Tombsالبرج الشماليBorj NordالبوعنانيةBou Inaniaفاس الجديدFes el-Jdidواد فاسOued Fesمكناس · وليلي · الرباطMeknes · Volubilis · Rabatشفشاون · طنجةChefchaouen · the Rif · Tangierصفرو · إفرانSefrou · Ifrane · the Middle AtlasمراكشMarrakechمرزوكةMerzouga · Erg Chebbiفاس الباليFes el-Baliخارج الأسوارOut through the gatesأبعد من فاسOff the edge of the mapالرياضYour riadN500 m (schematic)باب الحديدBab el-Hadidباب الحديدBab el-Hadid

Bab el-Hadid is a gate in the walls. These are the places closest to it, with the walk to each one through the lanes:

Close by

  1. Dar Bathaدار البطحاء9 min walk
  2. Bou Inania madrasaالمدرسة البوعنانية11 min walk
  3. Jnan Sbil gardenجنان السبيل18 min walk

Plan a day from this gate

Suggestions to start from: each day can begin at Bab el-Hadid or take in the places around it. Private or small-group, with a guide who lives here, and quoted for your dates.

Carved plaster walls and the minaret of the Bou Inania madrasa under a blue sky with cloudsFull day from FesFes el-Bali Medina & TanneriesA full day on foot through Fes el-Bali with a local historian — Bab Boujloud, the Qaraouiyine, Bou Inania medersa and the Chouara tanneries from a private terrace.See how the day runs

The other nine gates

Every gate in the walls has its own page. Pick one on the map or from the list.

فاس الباليFes el-BaliTalaa Kebira · الطالعة الكبيرةالقرويينQarawiyyinالشوارةChouaraالرصيفRcifعدوة الأندلسAndalusian bankقبور المرينيينMerinid Tombsالبرج الشماليBorj NordالبوعنانيةBou Inaniaفاس الجديدFes el-Jdidواد فاسOued Fesمكناس · وليلي · الرباطMeknes · Volubilis · Rabatشفشاون · طنجةChefchaouen · the Rif · Tangierصفرو · إفرانSefrou · Ifrane · the Middle AtlasمراكشMarrakechمرزوكةMerzouga · Erg Chebbiفاس الباليFes el-Baliخارج الأسوارOut through the gatesأبعد من فاسOff the edge of the mapالرياضYour riadN500 m (schematic)

Questions about Bab el-Hadid

What people ask us before they walk through it.

What does Bab el-Hadid mean?
"The Iron Gate".
When was Bab el-Hadid built?
No reliable date is published. Some local sources say 859, but this has not been checked against a specialist source.
Is Bab el-Hadid a main entrance?
Not historically. The gardens and large houses behind it meant no main road led there. It is still a small gate today.

Start at Bab el-Hadid. We'll plan the rest of the day with you.

  1. Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
  2. A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
  3. You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.
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