Bab Doukkala (Doukala) Marrakech: Gate, Mosque and How to Get There

Bab Doukkala, also spelled Bab Doukala, is a gate on the north-west side of the Marrakech medina, near the bus station: free access at any time, a 10-minute visit and about 20 minutes on foot from Jemaa el-Fna. Bab Doukkala is the great north-west gate of the Marrakech medina. It dates from the Almoravid walls built around 1126 and has kept its original plan, with a bent entrance passage. Behind it are the Saadian Bab Doukkala Mosque and, just to the north, the city's bus station. The gate can be seen in a few minutes, without a ticket, but it mostly serves as a way into the Mouassine and Dar el-Bacha district and as a landmark for taxis. To place it among the other gates, see the ramparts and gates of Marrakech.

Highlights

The gate and its bent passage

The passage turns twice at a right angle: you enter from the west, turn south, then east before coming out into the city. This Almoravid design was meant to slow attackers down. Two square towers flank the gate on the bus-station side.

The Bab Doukkala Mosque

Founded by Lalla Messaouda, wife of Sultan Mohammed ech-Cheikh and mother of the future Sultan Ahmed el-Mansour, it was built between 1557-1558 and 1570-1571. Its minaret, probably added in the early 17th century, can be seen from afar. The interior is reserved for Muslims, but the public fountain next to the ablutions hall can be seen from the street.

The market street

The street leading to the gate is lined with stalls of fruit and vegetables, butchers and bakers: it is a neighbourhood market used by locals, with no souvenir shops. See also the markets of Marrakech.

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