The enigmatic marble cartouche

Shortly before the reign of Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah (18c), the Kasbah gate was adorned with a white marble cartouche.

This cartouche, with its mention of 1746, indicates that Agadir was then a flourishing port and trade harbour. The white marble stele bears, to this day, an engraved inscription in Dutch, “Vreest God ende eert den Kooning” (Fear God and honour your king), mirroring an inscription in Arabic and the coat of arms of the East India Company (Netherlands).

During the archaeological phase of the restoration, this white marble stele was dismantled because of the poor condition of the wall supporting it. Photographed for its conservation in 3D imagery, it was returned to its original location above the gate in June 2022.