Morocco
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A Discovery in Living Art
Region: Central and Northern Morocco (Rif mountains)
ITINERARY I: The Royal City
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Description |
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In Arab-Muslim culture, the location of the “ Royal City ” which the sovereigns inhabit is primordial. It always occupies a large area, whether located in al-Andalus, the Maghreb or the Mashreq. Often surrounded by ramparts, it encompasses the palaces of the sovereign as well as its amenities, its gardens or riyads, the living quarters of the court and of high dignitaries, the commercial districts and currency-minting workshops. It is certainly the case that the origin of this spatial plan in general and of the Royal City in particular is not Andalusian; indeed it dates back to the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, and finally the Muslim dynasties of the Mashreq. But the framework on which cities are planned, particularly in , owes as much to this direct Eastern influence as to the influence of the Andalusians. One sees this framework as clearly in Granada and in Seville as one does in Fez, in Marrakesh and in Meknès. The Royal City of Meknès, as it was conceived by the 'Alawite Sultan Mulay Ism'ail, is particularly representative of this type of town, which bases itself on the Eastern structuring of space, whilst maintaining the ornate decor and colouring of al-Andalus, and the local Moroccan architecture developed by great princes. |