According to “Umari”,
M. Gaudefroy Demombynes named this door “Bab Al-Muhriq”;
But this designation was false, as it was a bad reading of the
Arab text. It was necessary better for that, to refer to the Almohade
chronicle which lets understand that Bab Al-Makhzen is near “Bàb
As-Sàri'a”: at the time of the Almohade abrupt attack
against the disarmed crowd which walked in front of “Bàb
As-Sàri' a”, a man of the continuation of the Sultan
Ali Ben Yusùf shouted to him in the middle of the disorder
“O Almoravide, go ahead to one of the doors where there
is no multitude”.
The chronicle adds: “the Sultan fled
and passed by Bab Al-Mahzan”. As this door is closest to
the Kasbah of Yùsùf b.Tàsufin and the palates
which had developed thereafter around the first fortress, it is
logical that this passage, in particular, was used more by “the
Sultan”, (either was it Almoravide or Almohade). “Umari”
teach us that, close to this door, immense palates existed. So
this door was some time called “of the palate” (Bàb
Al-Quasr). It is to be noticed that it gave rise to a street,
still well preserved, which carries out right to the El Ksour
quarter.
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