PeopleTalentLink

Kasbah of the Udayas From the Best Riads in Morocco




The Kasbah of the Udayas is a city inside a city, a little apart in Rabat, today more than yesterday. But if there was only one thing to see in Rabat (what a ridiculous thought!), then you should go to the Udayas.

Built in the 12th century by the Almohads, it was originally called Al-Mahdiya after their ancestor Mahdi Ibn Tumart, Berber religious scholar and founder of the dynasty. It is in fact the Kasbah that gave its name to the city. A "ribat" is indeed a fortified monastery and here settled soldier-monks who went into holy war against Christians in the Spanish Peninsula. The ribat became the "Ribat El Fath", "Ribat victory", which was eventually shortened and turn into "Rabat".

Kasbah of the Udayas

When the Moors, the Andalusians expelled from Spain, landed in Rabat in the early 17th century, it became known as Kasbah Andalusian and even became a sort of autonomous republic of pirates from 1621 to 1647. In 1833, when the Udaya tribe was driven from Fez by Sultan Moulay Abdurrahman, the Udays settled in Rabat and finally gave it the name of Kasbah Udayas (or Kasbah Oudaias or Oudayas).

The "village" of Udayas as we know it today is fairly recent and dates from the late 19th or early 20th century. The Kasbah, in fact, apart from the palace, was home to only a few important houses of soldiers and rich families. The Kasbah was originally a military structure and was arranged to form essentially an impenetrable fortress. It is in part thanks to the quality of the Kasbah as an architectural masterpiece that Rabat had the privilege of becoming an Imperial Capital by the grace of the Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah (1757-1790), who carried out great architectural works in Casablanca and Marrakech.

When entering the precincts of the Udayas through the imposing and magnificent Bab-Al-Ouda�as or Bab El Kebir, one immediately notices the Andalusian influence. Everything here reminds of Spain: the walls uniformly covered with lime, blue everywhere, the cobbled streets, the massive doors with coloured mouldings, the wrought iron, etc.

In the summer, the narrow streets are delightfully fresh and clean. Residents of the Udayas quarters have made great efforts to preserve this site. The houses are well maintained and beautifully flowered. The city of Rabat has understood the advantage that it could draw from tourism to this exceptional site and has ensured the preservation of this unique heritage.

Here, unlike in the medina located a few hundred feet below, everything is hushed. Residents slip quietly into the dark alleys. The only interruption of this quietness comes from the call of the muezzin from the minaret of the Jamaa Al-Atiq mosque, the oldest religious building in Rabat. The Udayas became a haven for artists who have come from all corners of the world, attracted by the beauty of the site as much as by its soothing tranquillity.

The Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat is another fantastic monument that reflects the Moroccan richness, beauty and variety of Morocco's cultural and architectural heritage. There are countless architectural masterpieces and historic sites that are definitely worth a visit.

The best way to discover and enjoy Morocco's cultural heritage is by visiting, and even staying, in a riad. Riads are traditional houses that have retained their original structure. Most of them have been turned into museums, public spaces and guest houses and hotels and in them you will get a chance to explore the Moroccan traditional way of life and to admire the many art pieces and crafts displayed in them. You will also get all the information about the most interesting places to see in most of these riads in Morocco, which are also an excellent choice of accommodation.
offre d'emploi au maroc