The Market Gate

A moment of daily life at the edge of a fortified city, inspired by medieval Moroccan and Andalusian urban life. Traders and travelers rest in the shade, guards linger near the walls, and the city breathes beyond the door.

When visiting historic sites in Morocco, doors often feel like true transitional spaces. They mark the contrast between the harshness of the outside world and the protective embrace of lush gardens and flowing water, or the passage from a wide public courtyard into a narrower, more private and intimate living space.

This scene is part of my ongoing personal project exploring North African–inspired historical fiction. I’m particularly interested in pushing feelings of transition, compression, and release within the small open world I’m building.

More to come!