The Imperial Cities of Morocco"The author takes us on a richly documented journey around the massive rampart walls and on into the historic heart of each of Morocco's four imperial cities. Winding his way through the alleys of the medina, he shows us the rare architectural treasures hidden behind the seemingly anonymous walls : lush patios paved with brightly coloured zillij, intricately stuccoed walls and beautifully carved wood... The bustle of the souks and public squares is offset by the serenity of the buildings given over to study or prayer, while the sumptuous palaces of the kasbah, a fortified city within the city, conjure up the days when sultans were all-powerful and Morocco the centre of an empire. The illustrations faithfully reflect the identity of each town : Fez, the oldest and most refined of the four ; Marrakesh, an oasis of colour at the gateway to the Atlas Mountains ; Meknes, the stateliest of them all and the Moroccan equivalent of Versailles ; and Rabat "the White", the Mediterranean."-- |
Contents
Contents | 8 |
The Art of Building in the Imperial Cities | 18 |
An Ancient Capital | 29 |
Copyright | |
14 other sections not shown
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Abou al Hassan Agdal Ahmed al Mansour Almohad sovereign Almoravid Alouite sovereigns Andalusian Andalusian garden arabesques architecture Attarin Badi Palace Berber Bou Inania BOU INANIA MADRASA Bou Regreg building CALIFORN CALIFORNIA capital centre century Chella courtyard craftsmen decorated DIEGO SAN DIEGO UNIV district dome dynasty faience faience tiling Fez el Jedid finely carved fondouks fountain frieze galleries gate gateways Hassan Tower Hispano-Mauresque houses imperial cities INVS Islam Jamaa Karaouyin Mosque kasbah Kebira king Koran Koutoubiya LIBRARY Madrasa Maghrib Makhzen marble Marrakesh mausoleum medina Meknes mellah Merinid metres mihrab minaret Mohammed ben Abdellah monumental Moroccan Morocco Moslem Mosque moukarnas Moulay Ismaïl Mudejars necropolis Nejjarin ornamentation Oudaya patio pavilion pillars plaster polychrome zillij pond prayer prayer-room Rabat ramparts rectangular reign of Moulay religious roof royal city Royal Palace Saadian saint SAN DIEGO ERSITY SAN DIEGO UNIVERSITY sanctuary Sidi souks sultan surmounted surrounded tomb town traditional walls Yakoub al Mansour Youssef ZAOUIYA