Kasbah of the Udayas, Fortified citadel in Rabat, Morocco
The fortified complex sits at the mouth of the Bou Regreg and includes a residential quarter with narrow lanes, an Andalusian-style garden, and a viewing platform above the Atlantic. The 12th-century entrance gate leads into a maze of whitewashed houses that slope toward the ocean.
The Almohads built the fortress during the 12th century as a military base to control the river mouth. Muslims fleeing Spain in the 17th century settled within the walls and transformed the site into a residential quarter.
The name comes from the Udaya tribe who settled here during the 17th century and brought their Andalusian way of life to these walls. Today visitors drink tea in houses painted white and blue while women sit at doorways and carry on their daily conversations.
The lanes are narrow and paved with stones, so comfortable shoes are recommended, especially if it has rained in recent days. The best time to walk through is in the morning when sunlight lights up the white walls and the terraces are not yet crowded.
Around 2000 people live permanently inside the old walls and keep their homes along the streets that visitors walk through. Some residents have set up small studios in their courtyards where they paint canvases and welcome guests.
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