Caliphal Site

About this heritage

This heritage element could also be called the Gate of Al-Andalus. It was conceived as an access point in the wall ordered to be built by Abderramán III, after the conquest of Ceuta in the year 931, to close off the area around the current isthmus of the city. The caliphal epithet is due to its belonging to the period of the Caliphate of Córdoba.

The Caliphal Gate and its site, which in Roman times was an industrial area, are part of a perfectly visible timeline that almost magically transports us to past times thanks to its good state of preservation and the excellent work carried out. In its surroundings, we find an exceptional historical conglomerate that ranges from prehistoric times to the present day, in no more than 20 linear meters. Twenty-one centuries of history in a very small space make this site unique. Composed of ashlar blocks, large rectangular stones placed in "header and stretcher bond" lines, this gate shows in its very structure its caliphal and defensive character, since this type of masonry was used to withstand the impacts of the huge stones thrown by catapults in times of war.

To learn more

To visit this monument, it is necessary to call the Royal Walls Monumental Complex.

Tel: 856 200 560.

Or write to turismo@ceuta.es.

Source: https://turismodeceuta.com/wp-content/uploads/GUIA-CEUTA-ESPANOL.pdf.