The vast enclosure known as the Dar al-Makhzen today contained another set of palaces built by Moulay Isma'il, slightly later than the Dar al-Kebira. It covers a large quadrilateral area measuring roughly 1 km by 500 metres, containing approximately 60 hectares.[1] The enclosure is separated from the Dar al-Kebira and the other structures to the north by a long esplanade (now occupied by a modern road) between two walls, known as the asarag (or asaraq).[2] A long massive gateway, Bab ar-Ra'is ("Gate of the Captain"; known today also as Bab er-Rih, "Gate of the Wind") divides the asarag at its juncture with the outer wall of the Dar Kbira enclosure. The enclosure is in turn divided quite distinctly into two main sections.