Built by the Almohads in the 12th century on the site of the original 10th-century ribat fortress, Rabat’s cliff-top kasbah is a delight to explore. Standing sentry over the mouth of the Oued Bou Regreg, the kasbah has been the one constant in the city’s history, inhabited during both the good times and the bad. Today it’s a quaint villagelike quarter, only 150m (500 ft.) from one end to the other, and crammed with rows of whitewashed houses with brightly colored doors. It still exudes a whiff of its Andalusian heritage, though little of its notorious pirate past.
The main entrance gate is the ornately decorated Bab Oudaïas. Constructed during the late-12th-century building spree of the Almohad sultan Yacoub el Mansour, it houses a series of chambers that would have originally been the city’s courthouse and staterooms, and are now used regularly to house art exhibitions. The kasbah’s main thoroughfare, rue Jemaa, runs from here straight through the kasbah, passing a couple of art galleries and the 12th-century mosque from which the street gets its name. About halfway is the junction with rue Bazo, which winds down to the Andalusian Gardens (free admission; daily from sunrise to sunset), which is accessed via Café Maure, a popular stop for mint tea and biscuits with a great view of the river mouth, open daily from 9am to 5pm.
The gardens were actually constructed during the protectorate era and occupy the grounds of a former palace, built in the 17th century by the Meknes-based Sultan Moulay Ismail. Ismail was the first sultan to have any control over the Sallee Rovers, a feat accomplished largely due to his garrison of Saharan tribesmen, called the Oudaïas, which were housed here. The palace is now a museum (10dh/$1.25/65p adults, 3dh/40¢/20p kids 5-12; Oct-Apr daily 9am-noon and 3-5pm, closes at 6pm May-Sept), with various exhibitions of jewelry, clothing, ceramics, and traditional musical instruments now housed in its former reception rooms.
It can also be accessed via a small outside entrance halfway between Bab Oudaïas and the southwestern corner of the kasbah. At the end of rue Jemaa is a wide-open area called Le Plateforme du Semaphore. This former signal station was built during the times of the Salle Rovers, affording them a sweeping view of any seafaring enemy, and would have been lined with cannon. Today it’s a social gathering point for locals, and one of the best places to head should the summer humidity become unbearable; it also affords a great sunset view. The city’s beaches are also accessible from here down a series of steps.