Kasbah Cherarda (Arabic: قصبة شراردة) is a kasbah in the city of Fez, Morocco, located on the northern outskirts of Fes el-Jdid. It was initially referred to as Kasbah el-Khemis, the "Thursday Fort" (Arabic: قصبة الخمس) as there was an open market held every Thursday outside the wall.[1]
The name cherarda (or sherarda) originates from the name of an Arab tribe whose qaid had also previously built a kasbah here in order to protect the tribe's granaries.[2]: 295–296 The current kasbah was created by the Alaouite sultan Mulay al-Rashid after he took over the city in 1666, acting as a garrison fort to house his tribal troops (referred to as guich or "army" tribes).[3][1][4][2] It covers a large rectangular area measuring 400 by 550 meters.[2]: 294 The tribe of Ashrafah occupied the fortress during the war between the Sultan and his brother Mohammed, before being deported.[4] It constituted one of a number of similar fortifications established across the outskirts of Fes, throughout the city's history. Today the kasbah is occupied by a hospital, a high school, and, since 1959–60, a branch or annex of the University of al-Qarawiyyin.[5]
See also edit
- Fortifications of Fez
- Dar al-Makhzen (Royal Palace of Fez)
- Bab Segma
References edit
- ^ a b Qasba Cherarda. Archnet. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ a b c Métalsi, Mohamed (2003). Fès: La ville essentielle. Paris: ACR Édition Internationale. ISBN 978-2867701528.
- ^ Le Tourneau, Roger (1949). Fès avant le protectorat : étude économique et sociale d'une ville de l'occident musulman. Casablanca: Société Marocaine de Librairie et d'Édition.
- ^ a b نفائس فاس العتيقة : بناء 13 قصبة لأغراض عسكرية. Assabah. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ Parker, Richard (1981). A practical guide to Islamic Monuments in Morocco. Charlottesville, VA: The Baraka Press.
34°3′44″N 4°59′29″W / 34.06222°N 4.99139°W
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