Bab Dekkakin

Bab Dekkakin or Bab Dekakene (bab ad-dekakin, lit. 'gate of the benches') is a fortified and ceremonial gate in Fes, Morocco. The gate is situated between the Old Mechouar and the New Mechouar on the northern edge of Fes el-Jdid. The gate's original name was as Bab es-Sebaa ("Gate of the Lion"), probably in reference to a carved image or motif of a lion that has since disappeared. Originally, the name "Bab Dekkakin" was actually the name of what is now the gate to the Royal Palace itself, which was formerly the main entrance to the city (originally called Bab el-Oued or Bab el-Qantara) before the palace expanded to this point. Only later did the name come to designate Bab es-Sebaa. The name Bab Dekkakin means "Gate of the Benches" and is a reference to the previous existence of benches along the sides of the gate where those who were granted an audience inside the Palace would wait until called upon. Fes el-Jdid ("New Fes") was founded in 1276 by Sultan Abu Yusuf Ya'qub as the new capital of the Marinid Sultanate as a separate agglomeration overlooking the nearby older city of Fes (Fes el-Bali, "Old Fes"). The city included the sultan's royal palace (Dar al-Makhzen), which has served as the residence of the rulers of Morocco during many periods and is still used on occasion by the King of Morocco today. Bab Dekkakin dates from the original Marinid foundation in 1276 and was part of the main northern entrance to the city. Its layout was highly defensive and it originally had a bent entrance (forcing attackers to turn multiple corners when passing through it). Flanked by two pairs of tall square towers, some scholars believe that the outer towers, higher than the inner ones, were added to the gate in 1286 during the construction of the aqueduct that supplied water to the Marinid royal gardens to the north of the city. The towers may have been intended partly to protect both the aqueduct and the huge noria (waterwheel) which raised water to it and which would have been almost as tall as the towers themselves. The gate gave access to what is now the Old Mechouar square, but originally this square actually served as a fortified br

Data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).