Agdal ( ary, أݣدال) is a historical concept in
Morocco, referring to gardens or farmland owned by the
Makhzen or the community, and forbidden to the public, whether permanently or during certain periods. Nowadays, the name is used for areas in some Moroccan cities such as
Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
,
Fes
Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
,
Marrakech
Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...
and
Meknes, which had historically been protected gardens, going back at least to the
Almohad era in the 12th century.
The word ''Agdal'' comes from
Amazigh language, and means either "garden"
or "protected grazing land", usually surrounded by a fence and forbidden to the public. Many places called "Agdal" today, especially within urban areas, were originally grazing lands for government-owned horses. In general, the term "Agdal" has the connotation of something private or forbidden.
Agdals in Morocco
*
Agdal is an urban community in
Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
, Morocco.
*
Agdal Gardens is a garden area in
Marrakech
Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...
, Morocco.
*
Agdal is an urban community in
Fes
Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
, Morocco.
*
Agdal is an urban community in
Meknes, Morocco.
References
History of Morocco
Agdal
Moroccan Arabic words and phrases
{{Morocco-hist-stub