Bab Ksiba, Marrakech

Bab Ksiba is one of the nineteen gates of Marrakech built in the 12th century in the time of the Almohad dynasty. It leads to the southern end of the royal Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hence the name: Kasbah means "Fortress", where Ksiba means literally "Little-Fort".

As the gates served a utilitarian purpose, they are largely unadorned, apart from verses of the Koran engraved above their arch, so it is sometimes difficult to know which gate you are going through. Most of them have modern name-plates, but often these are covered in graffiti or have been pinched as souvenirs.

You can't mistake the Bab Ksiba, as it has a huge and ancient Eucalyptus tree on its left-hand side, and often the locals gather in its shade to catch up on news and exchange gossip. The kasbah, built by the Almohad sultan Yaqub al-Mansour, is the site of the Kasbah Mosque, the El Badi Palace and the Saadian Tombs.