Overview
A Kasbah is a fortified position, like a fort or castle. The Rabat Kasbah of the Udayas is the Kasbah at the mouth of the River Bou Regreg in Rabat. The name Udayas is a recent addition from the nineteenth century, named for a tribe that settled an uninhabited Kasbah. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a few areas of interest make it worth a visit (and it’s free)
History of Rabat Kasbah of the Udayas
Founded in the tenth century, the ribat a fortified monastery built on the same site as the current Kasbah. Around 1150, construction began on the current Kasbah, a stronger defensive building than a ribat. Abandoned in 1199, the Kasbah sat empty until 1609. That is the year the moors were expelled from Spain ending up in Morocco at the abandoned Kasbah.
The Kasbah you see today is recent, from the eighteenth century. There is a former palace, now a museum, a mosque and a few streets. The massive ornate gate, largely for decoration, dates from the late twefth century. The most interesting part of the Rabat Kasbah is the Andalusian Garden. A recent addition from the French period in the early twentieth centrury.
Visiting the Rabat Kasbah
The Kasbah is located next to the Medina with its souk. There is just a modern busy street that needs to be crossed. Except for the museum, entry is free to visit the Kasbah. There are nice views of the mouth of the River as it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. There is also a cafe along the River side. We saw a few shops on the streets. By far my favorite spot was the Gardens. While built by the French in 1915, the design is typical of Mosleum gardens. There are walks criss-crossing the gardens as well as places to site to just look at the plants.
