Bab Chaaba, the historic gateway of Safi’s worst floods since the 1600s

Safi’s deadly floods this week mirror centuries of historical accounts describing torrents repeatedly entering the old medina through Bab Chaaba, destroying homes, shops, and lives. Accounts from the 1600s to the early 1900s record nearly identical scenes of devastation, showing that the same vulnerable point of the city has long been the epicenter of its worst disasters.