Moroccan Architecture History and Style Moroccan architecture is rich, alluring, and as varied as the landscape of the country itself. Its long history of indigenous Berber people and a series of foreign invaders as well as religious and cultural influences have shaped the countries architectural styles. The architecture can range from ornate with bold with colors to simple, clean lines with earth tones. Morocco’s architecture has been described as exotic, majestic, eclectic, contemporary and traditional a true mix. Influences from the Arab world, Spain, Portugal and France are still can be seen in Moroccan architecture, both on their own and blended with Berber and Islamic styles. Among the buildings, and old Kasbah walls, sit French style-towns left behind by colonization and intersect with intricately detailed mosques and riad-style homes. Still, sleek, modern designs are being constructed in cities like Rabat and Casablanca that give no particular homage to any of the past Moroccan architecture styles. Some distinctive features of Moroccan architecture include geometric patterns and bright colors, most notably in the tiles known as zelij; ornamental Islamic calligraphy, open court yards with lush gardens; and U-shaped entries and large domes. Travelers most often note the finest architecture in the country would be found in Fes and Marrakesh, especially at the mosques with the imposing minarets, elaborate madrassas and palaces. A few places to take in the best examples of Moroccan architecture in these cities include El Bahia Palace and the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh, Nejjarine Square, Saadian Tombs and Andalous Mosque in Fes. The Museum of Moroccan Arts in Fes is also highly recommended, as much for the building as for the exhibits themselves. Experiencing Moroccan architecture in other places is as easy as walking down any street in the city or towns. From government buildings that have stately and ornate outer appearances with imposing Romanesque columns and intricate ornamentation to a walk through one of the ancient gates with its smooth, red clay walls and tall U-shaped arches. Excellent examples of varied styles of Moroccan architecture in Rabat can be found in the Mohammed V Mausoleum, the Kasbah of the Oudaias. The oldest examples of Moroccan architecture are found among the Atlas Mountains in the ancient Kasbahs and old villages. The walls of the Kasbahs, once used as forts and later becoming palaces are made of sun-dried brick in rich red clay tones, similar to the many gates found in some of the larger cities along the coast. Although the walls and buildings are massive, they manage to become part of the landscape rather than arresting it. Perhaps the strongest influence on Moroccan architecture, both old and more modern is the Islamic design elements. Sweeping calligraphy of Quranic verses, extremely detailed friezes of flowers and geometric patterns are unique features, not only of mosques but many other types of buildings as well. Even in the mosques, where Islamic influences reign; the traditional Moroccan tiles with their own design and color aesthetic are incorporated into the fountains used for purifying the body for prayer and in other parts of the building. Hispano-Moorish architecture has also made deep roots in Moroccan architecture. Brought into Morocco during the Almoravid dynasty over the straight of Gibraltar, its distinctive style is characterized by sharp white walls, green stucco roofs among the arches and domes seen in other typical forms of architectural works.   The architectural elements of Moroccan design do not stop at the exterior building design or interior works of the walls and ceiling. Every door, surface and piece of furniture placed inside the home can be of the highest art qualities. Made using the finest earth elements such as iron and wood, using paints and natural colors of the landscape surrounding the place, Moroccans place a great deal of emphasis on all aspects of their constructed spaces.   Even on some of the plainest homes, a finely carved wooden door with elaborate is a work of art and invitation to the home of its dwellers. Inside, even more intricate wood carvings are found on the visible platforms that hold sadari, the long, soft cushions used as couches and beds. In the same respect, complex crown moldings and ceiling medallions made of plaster add a decorative element to every inch of the interior design.   Both the exterior and interior components of Moroccan architecture are painstakingly produced by hand by crafters from generations of Moroccans who pass their craft down from father to son. While the next generation make sure to add some of their modern ideas, the sense of tradition in how they are crafted will never die. Moroccan Architecture Pictures

  

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Moroccan architecture

Moroccan architecture



Towering minarets not only aid the acoustics of the call to prayer, but provide a visible reminder of God and community that puts everything else – spats, dirty dishes, office politics – back in perspective. Muslim visitors claim that no Moroccan architecture surpasses buildings built for the glory of God, especially mosques in the ancient Islamic spiritual centre of Fez. With walls and ablutions fountains covered in lustrous green and white Fassi zellij (ceramic-tile mosaic) and a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) elaborately outlined in stucco and marble, Fez mosques are purpose-built for spiritual uplift.
Souq
At the centre of the medina (old city), you’ll find labyrinthine souqs (covered market streets) beneath lofty minarets, twin symbols of the ruling power’s worldly ambitions and higher aspirations. In these ancient medinas you can still see how souqs were divided into zones by trade, so that medieval shoppers would know exactly where to head for pickles or camel saddles. In Morocco, souqs are often covered with palm fronds for shade and shelter, and criss-crossed with smaller streets. Unlike souqs, these smaller streets often do not have names, and are collectively known as qissaria. Most qissariat are through streets, so when (not if) you get lost in them, keep heading onward until you intersect the next souq or buy a carpet, whichever happens first.

Ramparts
Dramatic form follows defensive function in many of Morocco’s trading posts and ports. The Almoravids took no chances with their trading capital, and wrapped Marrakesh in 16km of pink pisé (mudbrick reinforced with clay and chalk), 2m thick. Coastal towns like Essaouira and Assilah have witnessed centuries of piracy and fierce Portuguese–Moroccan trading rivalries – hence the heavy stone walls dotted by cannons, and crenellated ramparts that look like medieval European castles.

Kasbah
Wherever there were once commercial interests worth protecting in Morocco – salt, sugar, gold, slaves – you’ll find a kasbah. These fortified quarters housed the ruling family, its royal guard, and all the necessities for living in case of siege. One of the largest remaining kasbahs is Marrakesh’s 11th-century kasbah, which still houses a royal palace and acres of gardens and abuts Marrakesh’s mellah. Among the most scenic are the red kasbah overlooking all-blue Chefchaouen, and Rabat’s whitewashed seaside kasbah with its elegantly carved gate, the Bab Ouidia. The most famous kasbah is Aït Benhaddou.

Riad
Near the palace in Morocco’s imperial cities are grand riads, courtyard mansions where families of royal relatives, advisors and rich merchants whiled away idle hours gossiping in bhous (seating nooks) around arcaded courtyards paved with zellij and filled with songbirds twittering in fruit trees. So many riads have become B&Bs over the past decade that riad has become a synonym for guest house – but technically, an authentic riad has a courtyard garden divided in four parts, with a fountain in the centre. With more than 1,000 authentic riads, including extant examples from the 15th century, Marrakesh is the riad capital of North Africa.

Hammam
Traditionally they are built of mudbrick, lined with tadelakt (hand-polished limestone plaster that traps moisture) and capped with a dome with star-shaped vents to let steam escape. The domed main room is the coolest area, with side rooms offering increasing levels of heat to serve the vaguely arthritic to the woefully hungover. The boldly elemental forms of traditional hammams may strike you as incredibly modern, but actually it’s the other way around. The hammam is a recurring feature of landscapes by modernist masters Henri Matisse and Paul Klee, and Le Corbusier’s International Style modernism was inspired by the interior volumes and filtered light of these iconic domed North African structures.

Zawiya
Don’t be fooled by modest appearances or remote locations in Morocco: even a tiny village teetering off the edge of a cliff may be a major draw across Morocco because of its zawiya (shrine to a marabout). Just being in the vicinity of a marabout (saint) is said to confer baraka (a state of grace). Zawiya Naciria in Tamegroute is reputed to cure the ill, and the zawiya of Moulay Ismail on the Kik Plateau in the High Atlas is said to increase the fertility of female visitors (consider yourself warned). Most zawiyas are closed to non-Muslims – including the famous Zawiya Moulay Idriss II in Fez, and all seven of Marrakesh’s zawiyas – but you can often recognise a zawiya by its ceramic green-tiled roof and air of calm even outside its walls. To boost your baraka, you can visit the zawiya of Moulay al-Sherif in Rissani, which is now open to non-Muslims.

Image of Moulay Idriss II in Fez by MsAnthea
Medersa
More than schools of rote religious instruction, Moroccan medersas have been vibrant centres of learning about law, philosophy and astrology since the Merenid dynasty. For enough splendour to lift the soul and distract all but the most devoted students, visit the zellij-bedecked 14th-century Medersa el-Attarine in Fez and its rival for top students, the intricately carved and stuccoed Al-Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakesh. Now open as museums, these medersas give some idea of the austere lives students led in sublime surroundings, with long hours of study, several room-mates, sleeping mats for comfort, and one bathroom for up to 900 students. Most medersas remain closed to non-Muslims, but at Zawiya Naciria in Tamegroute, visitors can glimpse the still-functioning medersa while visiting the library of handwritten texts dating from the 13th century.


Fondouq
Since medieval times, these creative courtyard complexes featured ground-floor artisans’ workshops and rented rooms upstairs – from the nonstop fondouq flux of artisans and adventurers emerged cosmopolitan ideas and new inventions. Fondouqs once dotted caravan routes, but as trading communities became more stable and affluent, most fondouqs were gradually replaced with private homes and storehouses. Happily, 140 fondouqs remain in Marrakesh, including notable ones near Place Bab Ftueh and one on Rue Mouassine featured in the film Hideous Kinky.

Ksar
The location of ksour (mudbrick castles, plural of ksar) are spectacularly formidable: atop a rocky crag, against a rocky cliff, or rising above a palm oasis. Towers made of metres-thick, straw-reinforced mudbrick are elegantly tapered at the top to distribute the weight, and capped by zigzag merlon (crenellation). Like a desert mirage, a ksar will play tricks with your sense of scale and distance with its odd combination of grandeur and earthy intimacy. To get the full effect of this architecture in its natural setting, visit the ksour-packed Drâa and Dadès valleys. Of particular note are the ancient Jewish ksar in Tamnougalt and the three-tone pink/gold/white ksar of Aït Arbi, teetering on the edge of a gorge. Between the Drâa Valley and Dadès Valley, you can stay overnight in an ancient ksar in the castle-filled oases of Skoura and N’Kob.

Deco Villa

When Morocco came under colonial control, villes nouvelles (new cities) were built outside the walls of the medina, with street grids and modern architecture imposing new order. Neoclassical facades, Mansard roofs and high-rises must have come as quite a shock when they were introduced by the French and Spanish. But one style that seemed to bridge local Islamic geometry and streamlined European modernism was art deco. Painter Jacques Majorelle brought a Moroccan colour sensibility to deco in 1924, livening up the spare surfaces of his villa and garden with bursts of blue, green and acid yellow. In its 1930s heyday, Casablanca cleverly grafted Moroccan geometric detail onto whitewashed European edifices, adding a signature Casablanca deco (also called Mauresque) look to villas, movie palaces and hotels.

More cultural highlights can be found in the Lonely Planet guide to Morocco



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Trekking in Morocco, Gateway by outdoor sports in Morocco specialist Charlie Shepherd.

Trekking in Morocco

 Morocco Gateway by outdoor sports in Morocco specialist Charlie Shepherd.

Morocco’s mountains and deserts offer exceptional beauty, high drama and intriguing cultural encounters in equal measure, making it an increasingly popular and appealing destination for trekking, be it a challenging summit climb, a multi-day camping trek through untouched wilderness, or a casual day walk to experience a way of life which has hardly changed in centuries .In fact choosing what trek to do in Morocco, and where, can prove a stiff challenge in itself.

So, what are the options and most important considerations to bear in mind when planning your trek in Morocco? As with all types of holiday you’ll have to consider whether to join an organised tour (either on a group or private basis), or whether you intend to organise your trip on a more independent basis. In the case of trekking, both approaches are possible. The following information is geared more towards the independent traveller, although the merits of booking through an experienced operator should not be overlooked.

For the independently-minded and adventurous individual, treks in Morocco can be successfully organised “on-the-spot”, provided certain key guidelines are followed. Most importantly, you are never recommended to trek (for anything more than a casual mountain stroll) without a qualified mountain guide to lead you. Ait Bougmez Valley, the most beautiful valley in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains, is home to Africa’s only mountain guide training college and all certified guides have passed a six-month mountain leadership course here.

Sourcing qualified guides is normally relatively straightforward and any prospective guide should be asked to show you their official mountain guide identity card. The Hotel Ali (just off the Jemaa-el-Fna main square) in Marrakech is a good starting point as many guides tend to congregate here. Asking at reception will normally yield quick results. They also have a stock of 1:100 000 maps which will be useful in your planning.

If you have already researched your trekking region (more on this later) then in some cases you will be able to source a guide at the trailhead. The villages of Imlil, Tabant, Setti Fatma (High Atlas), Tafraoute (Anti-Atlas), Nkob (Jebel Saghro) and Taliouine (Jebel Sirwa) are good places to find local guides, as are their local hotels and guest houses. Guide services cost around 400dh (about €30-35) per day, and, depending on the nature of your proposed hike, you may want to enlist the services of a mule and handler to carry your bags/food/camping gear etc. Mule services cost around 100dh per day (about €8-10) and are recommended for long treks where food and camping equipment needs to be carried. On organised treks with tour companies you will also be provided with a cook to prepare lunches and hot meals in the evenings. All guides know of a cook who can accompany you, should you require one – count on about 200dh (around €15-20) per day.

Another essential consideration prior to settling on any trek is weather and climate. Morocco is predominantly a dry country but severe weather conditions are common in the mountains, even in summertime. Research this well, be prepared with adequate clothing, including multiple layers, good quality waterproof and windproof garments, sturdy hiking boots with ankle support, and always heed the advice of guides who will know local conditions far better than you will. There is no single ideal season to trek in the mountains of Morocco, as each range has its own climatic nuances, although you can count on late spring and autumn as being generally good times to hike. Winter hiking in all but the extreme south and the desert often requires specialist equipment for snow conditions, and summer is only recommended for very high altitude treks where the air is cooler.

So, where to go?

The most popular range of mountains in which to trek is the High Atlas. The highest and most extensive range in North Africa, the High Atlas rise to over 4000m above sea level and boasts Africa’s highest peak, Jebel Toubkal, at a height of 4,167m pr 13,671ft. Toubkal is, by some distance, the most trekked peak in Morocco, and represents an easily-accessible but challenging two or three day hike from the busy trailhead village of Imlil. Imlil has a “Bureau des Guides” where you can get information on the region and source guides, mules and cooks.

The trail up the mountain is a well-trodden one, and two well-equipped refuges at the foot of the steepest part of the climb provide dormitory accommodation and hot meals. The trek is physically-challenging but doesn’t prevent too many technical difficulties for regular hikers, and you’ll normally find the mountain snow covered (sometimes all the way from Imlil up) from December to April, when crampons and ice axes are required.

If your focus includes experiencing a taste of Moroccan rural culture, there are plenty of easily-accessible options from Imlil or Setti Fatma (at the top of the Ourika Valley). For instance a three-day hike through brightly-cultivated valleys and over one high pass, links the two valleys, with your nights spent under canvas, or, somewhat more conveniently, staying in mountain gites, basic village houses licensed to put up passing walkers for the night. The cultural aspect to such treks, or other similar hikes at lower altitudes, makes this a popular choice among visitors.

If you have longer than a week available to you, you might cast your eye further afield. The Toubkal National Park in the High Atlas mountain range, 70 kilometres from Marrakech, has few rivals for convenience, but other parts of Morocco offer comparable beauty and interest for those prepared to invest travelling time to access more distant mountain areas.

The Ait Bougmez valley in the High Atlas Mountains five hours to the east of Marrakech, is one of Morocco’s most absorbing and picturesque trailheads, and one which offers trekking services (guides, mules, cooks, provisions) plus hikes to suit all levels of physical ability. Jebel M’Goun is the country’s third highest peak and is scalable by fit individuals as part of a five day circuit starting and finishing in Bougmez. For more leisurely strolls, the valley itself, with its gite accommodation, fairytale landscape and hospitable folk, will keep you occupied and entertained for three or four days.

Heading southward from this region over the rugged spine of the High Atlas, treks into the Mgoun Gorges lead towards the desert south of the country. The Jebel Saghro, an intruiging landscape of contorted rock formations, table top mountains and bright oases, is a popular winter trekking range and is accessible from the agreeable town of N’Kob. Four to five days will allow you to traverse the range from south to north, finishing on the plains around the town of Boumalne Dades. Beware that trekking in the Saghro requires a high degree of organisation as trails are indistinct, water can be scarce and temperatures ferocious, even in spring and autumn.

The road from the Draa Valley to N’Kob continues to the tallest desert sand dunes in Morocco, close to the community of Merzouga. The Erg Chebbi dunes rise some 300m out of the surrounding flat plains of the “Hamada” stone desert, and their popularity can make them crowded in high season. However, with a bit of effort you can escape the crowds with a good guide and the essentials for overnight stays in the dunes. There are a number of well-equipped, permanent tent camps in the dunes but if solitude is what you are after then you’ll have to be prepared to pitch your own camp. Here camel dromedaries carry the gear (as opposed to mules) and, if you bargain hard, you can hire one for around 200dh (€15-20) per day. Some choose to ride, others prefer to walk - either is possible.

Additionally, here are some other trekking area suggestions together with their corresponding trailheads:

Jebel Sirwa:                           accessible from Taliouine

Anti-Atlas Mountains:           accessible from Tafraoute

Middle Atlas Mountains:      accessible from Azrou

Rif Mountains:                       accessible from Chefchaouen

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