382
NORTH-WEST AFRICA.
by well-preserved ramparts, and like other towns of the empire contains a fortified kasbah, and a mellah, or Jewish quarter, surrounded by separate walls. These fortifications were built by Christian captives, who when worn out by fatigue were despatched and built into the masonry. The broad streets of Mequinez are
Fig 174. — Mecnes and Volubilis.
interspersed with gardens, "the finest in the world," which supply Fez with fruits and vegetables. The grand gateway of the imperial castle, with its marble pillars, horse-shoe arches, enamelled tiles, and ornamental inscriptions. is a noble specimen of Moorish architecture, although now much dilapidated. The mosque of Mulai
