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Published: 2023-05-09 15:06:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 282; Favourites: 32; Downloads: 0
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Description Location: Marrakech Morroco

Bab Agnaou  is one of the best-known gates of Marrakesh, Morocco. Its construction is attributed to the Almohad caliph Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur and was completed around 1188 or 1190.

The gate was the main public entrance to the royal kasbah (citadel) in the southern part of the medina of Marrakesh. The Kasbah, built by Yaqub al-Mansur, is the site of the nearby El Mansouria Mosque (or Kasbah Mosque) and the Saadian Tombs behind it, as well as the El Badi Palace and the main Royal Palace (Dar al-Makhzen) of the city.

he word bab  comes from the Arabic word meaning 'Gate' or 'Door'. The name agnaou is believed to be of Berber origin and had multiple historically reported meanings including "mutes" and, later on, "Black people" (or the Gnawa); however, it's unclear what exact connotation the name had in this case.  It might also be translated to "a sheep without horns". The potential reference to the Gnawa might be explained by the fact that the gate is in the southern part of the city and faces partly southwards, thus away from Berber North Africa and more towards sub-Saharan Africa.
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