Kasbah Tamdert is a fortress and

kasbah A kasbah (, also ; , , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasbah, qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term in Spanish (), which is derived from the same ...

Fes Fez () or Fes (; ) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the nort ...

, Morocco. It is located near

Bab Ftouh Bab Ftouh (also spelled Bab Fetouh) is the main southeastern Gates of Fez, gate of Fes el Bali, Fes el-Bali, the old Fortifications of Fez, walled city of Fez, Morocco, Fes, Morocco. History The name ''Bab (al-)Ftouh'' means literally "Gate ...

in southern

Fes el-Bali Fes el Bali () is the oldest part of Fez, Morocco. It is one of the three main districts of Fez, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created ''Ville Nouvelle (New City'). Together with Fes Jdid, it forms the medina (historic quarter) of Fez, signif ...

History

The kasbah was built in the 16th century on the orders of the Saadian sultan

Muhammad al-Shaykh ''Mawlay'' Mohammed al-Shaykh al-Sharif al-Hassani (), known as Mohammed al-Shaykh () (b. 1490 – d. 23 October 1557), was the first sultan of the Saadian dynasty of Morocco (1544–1557). He was particularly successful in expelling the Portugue ...

in 1549. The Saadians, who had their capital at

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

, built forts around Fes to keep its population under control as much as for defending it from outside enemies. Kasbah Tamdert was the first of the Saadian fortifications built in the city, consisting of a simple walled enclosure (a kasbah), while years later the Saadians built the heavier fortresses of

Borj Nord Borj Nord or Burj al-Shamal (), Al-Burj ash-Shamali () is a fort in the city of Fez, Morocco. It was first established in 1582 by the Saadi dynasty, modeled after the Portuguese forts in the 16th century. It is among the largest defense structu ...

, Borj Sud, and the bastions on the eastern side of

Fes el-Jdid Fes Jdid or Fes el-Jdid () is one of the three parts of Fez, the second largest city of Morocco. It was founded by the Marinids in 1276 as an extension of Fes el Bali (the old city or ''medina'') and as a royal citadel and capital. It is occup ...

. The name ''Tamdert'' was a local

Amazigh Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connections are identified by their u ...

(Berber) name. The kasbah continued to be used for military purposes up to the 20th century, when it served as the

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

of the sultan's tabors in 1911 and continued to be used as a barracks during the French Protectorate period (1912–1956).

References

{{Morocco-stub category:Buildings and structures in Fez, Morocco Kasbahs in Morocco