Bab Guissa: The northwestern gate of Fes el Bali

In the heart of Fes el Bali, the antique, walled city of Fes, Morocco, stands Bab Guissa, also known as Bab Gisa. A gate by this name existed in this part of the city walls since at least the 11th century and was named after a Zenata emir, Ajisa Ibn Dunas. The Almoravids took over the city in 1069, fusing the two cities into one under the same fortified walls.

The current Bab Guissa is believed to date essentially from the construction of Muhammad al-Nasir in 1212. The Marinid sultan, Abu Yusuf Ya’qub, restored the gate in the 13th century, while it was repaired or rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake in the 18th century.

The original monumental gate has a bent entrance where the internal passage turns 90 degrees as it enters the city. While an opening was created for more direct passage in the early 20th century, the gate still features modest decorations of stucco or plaster, including blind arches along the inner passage.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons