The prison in Morocco has no doors or windows and rumors say prisoners are thrown through a hole in the roof
Many may not believe that the most terrifying prisons in the world are underground vaults.
One such example is the Kara Prison in the city of Meknes in central Morocco, which dates back to the 18th century AD, but is now a tourist attraction visited by tourists from all over the world.
There are different interpretations of the reason for the name of this strange and mysterious prison, as well as different opinions about the truth of what goes on inside it.
But what is certain is that it is a terrifying prison, as the expression “in is ruin, out is rebirth” describes it.
The story of the naming
Interpretations of the name of this strange underground prison in the center of Meknes differ.
Some say that Kara was the name of a Portuguese prisoner who was well versed in engineering and construction techniques.
According to this account, the Portuguese prisoner received a promise from Sultan Muley Ismail to release him in exchange for building a huge prison that could house more than 40,000 dissidents and prisoners during the Naval Jihad in the 18th century AD.
Sultan Muley Ismail belonged to the Alawite dynasty and ruled Morocco from 1672 to 1727 AD.
During his reign, the capital of the dynasty was moved from Marrakech to Meknes.
The Sultan was famous for his interest in building fortifications, including constructing a long wall to protect Meknes and the dreaded Kara prison to repel his rivals.
Some say that the name of this exotic prison dates back to the period of French colonialism that overran Morocco in 1912.
French authorities allegedly used this underground cellar to imprison Moroccan resistance fighters, and the nickname was changed to Kara because the prison guard was bald.
Scary design
There are many explanations for the design of the Kara Prison, described as one of the most horrific and deadly prisons in the world during the reign of Sultan Muley Ismail.
Some describe the prison’s design as a “labyrinth”, others as a “basement without end”, others as a “corridor without doors or windows”.
These are all names that really apply to this strange prison in form and content.
On the website of the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, the description of the design of the Kara Prison reads as follows:
It is a large semi-rectangular space divided into three very spacious halls, each with a group of large arches and columns.
The Moroccan magazine Zaman, which deals with the country’s social history, describes the prison in the following words:
This prison is one of those strange facilities whose shape and architecture evoke great fear and panic in the souls of all who see it. Built entirely underground and on a site that some believe covers the entire city of Meknes, it is difficult to understand where its borders end. A labyrinth of corridors whose depths no one can fathom and whose secrets no one can discover, the prison is inhabited by evil spirits or cursed by those who have experienced the tragedy of captivity and imprisonment. No one who has entered it has ever lost their way and come out alive.
Labyrinth
Historical records confirm that this historic prison is not a prison in the classical sense, that is, it does not have iron doors, windows or other elements that are found in any prison.
The Kara Prison is unlike any other prison in the world, because it has no doors, no windows, not even locks or shackles. It just has a large space like a labyrinth.
The absence of doors, locks and windows can be explained by the fact that the prison is located underground and consists of intertwined cellars, which, according to the rumors about it, cannot be accessed.
According to historical accounts, this mysterious place housed underground prisoners and foreign soldiers.
There is a hall where the sultan of Morocco received the ambassadors of countries and negotiated the release of their prisoners.
Fear and legends
Since the Kara Prison has no doors and no windows, rumors say that prisoners do not enter through the cell door like other prisons, but are thrown through a hole in the roof of the prison to spend the rest of their lives in this strange prison.
The prison is surrounded by many stories that mix truth and falsehood, including rumors about French adventurers and explorers attempting to navigate the prison and getting lost there.
After the rumored incident, which was confirmed by the people of Meknes, the local authorities closed the historic prison, which had become a tourist attraction, and opened only a small part of it to visitors.
There are many stories and rumors about this prison and its jinns.
Some say that it became the abode of fairies and goblins after years of being deprived of inmates, while others don’t believe such rumors because of the mystery surrounding this scary and strange prison.
resource utilized:: Independent Arabia
