The short answer
The Kasbah is the old royal citadel in the south of the medina: stone gates, stork nests and the hush of the tombs. It holds Bab Agnaou, the carved 12th-century Almohad gate, the Kasbah mosque of about 1185 to 1190, the Saadian Tombs and the ruins of El Badi Palace. It is about 15 minutes' walk south of Jemaa el-Fnaa.
In more detail
Come at opening time for the Saadian Tombs, when the queue for the viewing window is shortest, and come back in the late afternoon for the gate and El Badi's ramparts in warm light.
It is quieter than the souks and feels more residential, with small cafés on the Kasbah square and storks nesting on the walls of El Badi overhead. The Royal Palace and the Agdal Gardens lie just to the south.
Some visitors stay here for that calm. It is still inside the medina, with the square and the souks a walk away, but the lanes are less crowded than in the centre.
Good to know
- See the Saadian Tombs first, at opening.
- Photograph Bab Agnaou in the late afternoon.
- Have a coffee on the Kasbah square between sights.
- Walk in through Bab Agnaou from the medina side.
- Look for the storks on El Badi's walls.
- The Agdal Gardens lie just to the south.