باب محروق

Bab Mahrouk

Bab Mahrouk is a fortified Almohad gate built in 1204 on the north-west corner of Place Bou Jeloud. For centuries it was the main western entrance to Fes el-Bali and the start of the Tala'a Kebira.

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Almohad, 1204: the Gate of the Burnt.Plan a day from this gate

Fes el-Bali, western wall at the north-west corner of Place Bou Jeloud
1204, Almohad (Muhammad al-Nasir)
Also written Bab Mahruq, Bab el-Mahrouk, Bab ash-Shari'a, باب المحروق

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

The story of Bab Mahrouk

The Almohad ruler Muhammad al-Nasir built the gate in 1204 as part of his rebuilding of the city walls. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

It may once have been called Bab ash-Shari'a, roughly "Gate of the Law". It became Bab Mahrouk, "Gate of the Burnt", after the body of a rebel, al-'Ubaydi, was burned here in 1203–04. The heads of executed rebels were displayed at the gate, a practice that continued on occasion into the early 20th century. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

Bab Mahrouk and Bab Guissa are the two fortified gates of Fes el-Bali that keep their Almohad form. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

Outside the gate lies the Bab Mahrouk Cemetery. It holds the mausoleum of the 12th-century scholar Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi and the grave of the Granadan poet Ibn al-Khatib, killed in prison in Fes in 1375. en.wikipedia.org (source, opens in a new tab)

Where Bab Mahrouk is

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

Bab Mahrouk 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 Mahrouk 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 clouds

Full 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

Sacks of spices and dried red chillies at a spice stall in the Fes medina

Half day from FesFes Food TourA half-day grazing walk through Fes el-Bali — bissara, sardine maakouda, fresh msemen, camel sausage, the city's famous pastries and mint tea, with a local food guide.See how the day runs

Questions about Bab Mahrouk

What people ask us before they walk through it.

What does Bab Mahrouk mean?

"Gate of the Burnt". The name dates from 1203–04, when the body of the rebel al-'Ubaydi was burned at the gate.

When was Bab Mahrouk built?

In 1204, by the Almohad ruler Muhammad al-Nasir, during his rebuilding of the walls of Fes.

Is Bab Mahrouk the same as Bab Boujloud?

No. They are separate gates about 200 metres apart on Place Bou Jeloud. Bab Mahrouk is the 1204 fortified gate, and Bab Boujloud is the tiled gate of 1913.

Who is buried outside Bab Mahrouk?

The Bab Mahrouk Cemetery holds the mausoleum of the scholar Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi and the grave of the poet Ibn al-Khatib.

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