Gate of Chella Type of Artefact : Type : Funerary - Religious Type Description : Funerary - Religious Artefact Entry : Recorded By : LTTI Date Recorded : 2005-05-30 Period : Period : 1339 Period Identification : Almoravid, Idrisid, Marinid Location : Location Type Identification : Rabat Country : Morocco Artefact : ArtefactID : 520 Title : Gate of Chella Other : History / Comment : Chella is located within the city of Rabat and lies near the administrative center of the city. However, it was a city in its own right with an ancient history, probably dating to the eighth or seventh-century B.C. Overlooking the Bou Regreg river and plain, Chella was an important Roman port, and was eventually conquered by the Idrisids in the eighth-century, and the Almoravids in the eleventh. The Marinid dynasty appropriated Chella next; the Sultan 'Uthman II b. Ya'qub, Abu Sa'id (r. 1310-1331) began construction of the enclosing fortifications which were completed in 1339 by his son, 'Ali b. 'Uthman II, Abu al-Hasan. Two octagonal towers with ornate, crenelated caps flank the central portal. With its pointed arch and elaborate spandrel decoration, the Chella portal evokes earlier monumental Almohad gates. Within the enclosing walls the Marinids constructed a complex that includes a mosque, zawiya, and many royal tombs, including that of Abu al-Hasan. Number of photos : 2(-1--2-)