Bab Semmarine — the Gate of the Farriers — is the main southern entrance to Fes el-Jdid, built by the Merinids in the fourteenth century. It is a massive horseshoe-arched gate with carved stone decoration and the remnants of zellige. The name records the blacksmiths and horse-equipment makers whose workshops once occupied this street.
The gate marks the beginning of the Grand Rue de Fes el-Jdid, the main commercial street of the royal quarter, where a continuous line of small shops sells fabrics, clothing, and food. It is a working street rather than a tourist zone, and walking it gives a more ordinary Moroccan commercial experience than the medina handicraft souks. At the far end you emerge near the Royal Palace gates.