| Bab el-Khemis | |
| Completion Date: | circa 1126 |
| Coordinates: | 31.6395°N -7.9856°W |
| Location: | Marrakesh, Morocco |
| Architectural Style: | Almoravid, Moorish, Moroccan |
| Building Type: | city gate |
| Native Name: | باب الخميس |
| Former Names: | Bab Fes |
| Native Name Lang: | Arabic |
Bab el-Khemis is the main northern gate of the medina (historic walled city) of Marrakesh, Morocco.
The gate is located in the northern/northeastern corner of the city walls and dates back to around 1126 CE when the Almoravid emir Ali ibn Yusuf built the first walls of the city.[1] It was originally known as Bab Fes ("Gate of Fes"), but this name was apparently lost during the Marinid era.[2] The gate underwent a significant renovation in 1803–04 on the orders of Sultan Moulay Slimane, noted by a marble inscription found inside.
The gate's current name (el-Khemis) refers to the souk or open-air market which historically took place here every Thursday (al-Khamis in Arabic).[3] Nowadays, the market continues almost all week right outside the gate,[4] while a permanent flea market, Souk al-Khemis, has been constructed a few hundred meters to the north.[5] [6] Also just outside the gate is a qubba (domed mausoleum) housing the tomb of a local marabout or Muslim saint.
The gate's outer entrance is flanked on either side by square bastions. The gate's passage originally consisted of a bent entrance which effected a single 90-degree turn; one entered the gate from the north and then exited westwards into the city. According to legend, the door leaves of the gate were brought from Spain by a victorious Yusuf ibn Tashfin. During the Almohad period, the gatehouse was expanded such that its passage effected three more right-angle turns before exiting southwards. This gave it a similar form and layout to several other major Almohad gates such as Bab er-Rouah. The outline of the gate's original exit, now walled-up, can still be seen in its interior western wall.
At some point in the 20th century, the inner wall of the passage was opened up to allow a straight passage directly through the gate in order to facilitate the heavy traffic in the area, resulting in the current form of the gate.