Kasbah of Marrakesh
A large part of the district is still occupied by the official royal palace, the Dar al-Makhzen, which serves as the residence of the King of Morocco when he visits the city.
Two of its most important surviving structures today, the Kasbah Mosque and the main gate of Bab Agnaou, date from al-Mansur's reign.
[1][2] Today the kasbah is no longer a restricted district, apart from the royal palace, and is a popular tourist attraction in the city.
[1] Construction of the Marrakesh kasbah began in 1185 and finished by 1190, though al-Mansur's successors continued to build more palaces within it, totaling twelve by the end of the Almohad period.
Another gate, the Bab as-Sadat, allowed direct entrance into the kasbah from outside the city walls but was reserved for high officials and members of the royal dynasty.
The largest section was the caliph's palaces, known as ar-Riyad, covering about 24 hectares (59 acres) and occupying the entire eastern side of the kasbah.
[13][15] The current western and southern outline of the kasbah, including its walls, probably date to the Almohad construction, but many other ramparts and gates have been changed since.
He also transferred the Jewish population of the city to a new Mellah on the east side of the Royal Palace, which expanded the eastern outline of the kasbah.
It was designed as a showcase of al-Mansur's power and wealth, making use of the most lavish materials and decoration including Italian marble.
[16]: 256 Lastly, sources from this period also describe and illustrate a tall tower rising from the center of the palaces and visible from afar.
[16] The main exception to this neglect was the reign of Muhammad ibn Abdallah, who ruled Marrakesh as governor for his father from 1746 and then used it as his unofficial capital when he was sultan between 1757 and 1790.
According to historian Gaston Deverdun, the palace sections on the north side of this garden were probably first finished in 1753–54 but were rebuilt or remodeled between 1760 and 1765, when Muhammad was sultan.
Nonetheless, there is evidence that Muhammad continued to carry out works later in his reign and that he enlisted European craftsmen (particularly from Spain) for many of its elements.
[2] The current structures and gardens of the palace date mainly from the 'Alawi period, mostly from the time of Moulay Muhammad ibn Abdallah in the 18th century.
[1] The original 18th-century palace was arranged in a regular and symmetrical fashion reflecting a riad-style layout, but subsequent constructions have added asymmetrical elements.
It is approached via a series of walled courtyards or official squares known as mechouar s (also spelled meshwar), a common feature of traditional royal palaces in Morocco.
The mechouars, arranged in a series roughly east to west, are accessed through a number of gates – although many are of minor historical or architectural interest.
This mechouar is a large rectangular plaza measuring about 200 by 240 metres (660 by 790 ft), located directly south of the Mellah and Barrima neighbourhoods.
On its west side is a gate known as Tla ou Habet[21] on top of which a protected passage provided direct access between the palace and the Agdal Gardens to the south.
A gate at its northeastern corner, called Bab Bu 'Uqqaz, leads to the palace and was traditionally used to receive ambassadors or to conduct other ceremonies.
The heavy pillars and walls at ground level uphold a large square chamber above, which was heavily decorated with zellij tiling and painted wood ceiling.
The loggia features a wide arch on its external façade whose spandrels are decorated with floral arabesques, above which is an Arabic inscription in red.
At least one source, cited by historian Gaston Deverdun, claims the architect was a Spaniard sent by Charles III to Muhammad ibn Abdallah in friendship.
[1][3] The structures on the north side of the Arsat an-Nil, known collectively as al-Qasr al-Akhdar ("the Green Palace"), are arranged around two large rectangular courtyards: a northern one and a southern one.
The northern courtyard, which is directly southeast of the El Badi Palace, is the simplest in form and contains a fine zellil-tiled pavilion facing a central fountain.
It is entered from the south via a triple-arched portico, in front of which a large square pool of water is positioned at the center of the courtyard.
This overall symmetrical arrangement and the courtyard's opening on the south was designed to provide a visually grand approach to the Sattiniya from the Arsat an-Nil gardens.
The main courtyard was entered from the south via a series of gates including Bab al-Akhdar (the outer entrance to the palace from the mechouars).
It once included a hexagonal pool of water and the usual green pyramidal roofs which were all aligned with the central axis of the Arsat an-Nil.
Its large courtyard is symmetrical and features two halls with pyramidal roofs that face each other on its east–west axis, but the surrounding structures have a more irregular layout.
