باب فتوح

Bab Ftouh

Bab Ftouh is the main south-eastern gate of Fes el-Bali, on the Andalusian side of the river. About 15 metres high, it is a straight-through Almohad gate between two rectangular towers, with a large cemetery on the slope outside.

Plan a day from this gate Read its story

Two towers and a straight passage onto the Andalusian bank.Plan a day from this gate

Fes el-Bali, south-eastern wall on the Andalusian bank
Almohad, early 13th century; restored in the 18th century
Also written Bab Fetouh, Bab al-Futuh, باب الفتوح

Bab Ftouh, Fes. Photo: Robert Prazeres, CC BY-SA 4.0

The story of Bab Ftouh

The gate is believed to take its name from al-Fetouh ibn Dunas, a Zenata emir who held the eastern city, Madinat Fas, from 1059 to 1061 and is said to have built the first gate here. It replaced an earlier Idrisid gate, Bab al-Qibla. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

The present gate dates essentially from the Almohad rebuilding of the walls by Muhammad al-Nasir. The Alaouite sultan Muhammad ibn Abdallah modified and restored it in the 18th century. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

In the late 16th century the Saadians built Kasbah Tamdert just inside the gate, probably to keep control of a city they saw as hostile. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

Outside the gate, the Bab Ftouh Cemetery holds the mausoleum of the 12th-century Sufi Sidi 'Ali ibn Harazem, with its green pyramidal roof, where a moussem is still held each spring. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

Where Bab Ftouh is

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

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

Close by

Plan a day from this gate

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

Green-tiled roofs of the Kissaria and Souk al-Attarine, the Moulay Idris II minaret beyond

Half day from FesFes Spiritual & Andalusian QuarterA half-day on the quieter east bank of the medina — the Andalusian quarter founded by refugees from Córdoba, its great mosque, the zawiyas and the spiritual heart of Fes.See how the day runs

An elderly potter in a white coat and glasses shaping clay in a Fes workshop, rows of unfired cups beside him

Full day from FesFes Artisan WorkshopsA full day inside the workshops that made Fes famous — the zellige tile cooperative at Aïn Nokbi, the blue-pottery kilns, and the hammering brass quarter of Place Seffarine.See how the day runs

Questions about Bab Ftouh

What people ask us before they walk through it.

What does Bab Ftouh mean?

Literally "Gate of the Opening", often read as "Gate of Victory". The name is more likely to come from al-Fetouh ibn Dunas, the emir who held this side of Fes in 1059–61.

How old is Bab Ftouh?

The present gate is essentially Almohad, from the early 13th century, and was restored in the 18th century by Sultan Muhammad ibn Abdallah.

How far is the Andalusian Mosque from Bab Ftouh?

Mapped walking routes run about 450 metres, roughly a 7-minute walk uphill into the quarter.

Can I visit the Bab Ftouh Cemetery?

It is a working cemetery outside the gate. You can walk past it, quietly and respectfully. Photographing mourners is not appropriate.

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