The Blue Gate's Twin: Bab Mahrouk and Marinid Fez

In this episode of The Story of Morocco, Lucas and Luna step past the famous Blue Gate of Fez to explore its older, quieter twin: Bab Mahrouk, the gate of the unfortunate. Built by the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub in the thirteenth century, Bab Mahrouk was more than a city entrance — it was a stage for power, punishment, and the shifting fortunes of a dynasty. From the display of defeated enemies' heads to its role in Marinid ceremonial processions, the gate offers a window into how the Marinids used architecture and ritual to assert control over a fractious capital. Lucas walks through the gate's history, from its original Almohad predecessor to its restoration under the French Protectorate, and explains how its name — 'the gate of the unfortunate' — became a byword for execution and exile. Along the way, he touches on the Marinid rise, their rivalry with the Zayyanids of Tlemcen, and the careers of sultans like Abu al-Hasan and Abu Inan, whose ambitions played out in the shadow of this imposing arch. A conversation about memory, violence, and the layers of history hidden in plain sight. #BabMahrouk #Marinid #Fez #Morocco #AbuYusufYaqub #Zayyanid #Tlemcen #AbuInan #AbuAlHasan #FesElBali #MoroccanHistory #MedievalMorocco #IslamicArchitecture #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica #Almohad #Merinid Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo