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45-591: The Moqri family was a wealthy family of merchant origin which rose to prominence within the royal government (or makhzen ). They originated from Tlemcen , Algeria , and immigrated to Morocco at the beginning of the 19th century under their patriarch Abu Abdallah Muhammad al-Akhal, settling in Fez in 1805. He had three sons who each led a major branch of the family afterwards. One of them, Haj Abdesalam al-Moqri, rose to prominent positions under Sultan Moulay Hassan . He first worked as an amin (magistrate or secretary) working at

90-623: A contemporary description of the Ras al-Tabya palace – near the present-day Bardo in Tunis – from the second half of the 15th century indicates that it had a large cruciform garden with a central fountain, four water features and four pavilions arranged in cross-formation, thus similar to riad palaces elsewhere, including the later Badi Palace in Marrakesh. In Tlemcen , Algeria, the Zayyanid -era Mechouar Palace

135-478: A hotel or guesthouse-style accommodation with shared common areas and private rooms, often within a restored traditional mansion . Features Types Types Features Clothing Genres Art music Folk Prose Islamic Poetry Genres Forms Arabic prosody National literatures of Arab States Concepts Texts Fictional Arab people South Arabian deities The term riad comes from

180-579: A popular feature of palace architecture in the Islamic world because water and greenery were associated with images of paradise in Islam. Scholars generally attribute the origins of riad gardens in the western Islamic world to its antecedents in the eastern Persian world. Important examples of riads, or riad-like gardens, in al-Andalus are found at Madinat al-Zahra (10th century), the Aljaferia (11th century),

225-416: A separation between private family spaces (where women notably lived and worked) and semi-public spaces where outside guests were received. The central gardens of traditional riads were often planted with fruit trees such as orange trees or lemon trees. The walls of the riads could be adorned with tadelakt plaster, stucco decoration, and zellij tiles, sometimes with Arabic calligraphy and quotes from

270-611: A symmetrical riad-style courtyard layout. The largest riad garden in Marrakesh today is the Arsat an-Nil ("Garden of the Nile") located in the Royal Palace and dating from the reign of the Alaouite sultan Muhammad Ibn Abdallah (1757–1790). Measuring around 130 meters on its north–south axis and 70 meters on its east–west axis, it is divided along its middle by a path from north to south which in turn

315-742: A true riad garden (with a symmetrical four-part division) in Morocco was found in the Almoravid palace built by Ali ibn Yusuf in Marrakesh in the early 12th century, which was part of the older Ksar al-Hajjar fortress. The era of the Almoravids and their successor dynasties (such as the Almohads , the Marinids , and the Nasrids ) was a formative period of Moroccan architecture and of wider Moorish architecture during which

360-515: Is considered one of the finest examples of late 19th and early 20th century domestic architecture in Fes. It covers two-and-a-half acres or one hectare . Its layout and form are somewhat atypical of other Moroccan mansions of the era, especially compared to the more classical architecture of its nearby contemporaries like the Dar Glaoui and Dar al-Tazi. It is organized around two sections – the main house and

405-414: Is entered through a different street. The northwest wing is occupied by an entrance passage, stairway, and a large kitchen on the ground floor, while on the upper floor is a great hall covered by a small but ornate wooden dome, with more chambers around it. This upper floor area may have served as a guesthouse ( dar ḍiyaf ). The southwest wing is situated on the upper floor and constitutes the former hammam of

450-407: Is intersected by several other perpendicular paths, forming a vast, elongated version of a riad. Riads became more common in Fes only in recent centuries, as the existing architectural fabric and the sloped landscape of the city lent themselves less easily to large gardens. The late 19th-century Dar Batha palace (now a museum) in Fes is a large and clear example of a classic riad. The riad

495-479: Is less notable than the northern parts of the palace. The mansion of Si Tayb al-Moqri is separate from the older Moqri palace but directly adjoins it to the southeast. It is centered around a long rectangular patio surrounded by a two-story gallery on three sides and single-story arcade on one side. It is decorated with marble and faience tiles, star-shaped water basins, white marble fountains, zellij tilework, carved stucco, and sculpted wood ceilings. The house

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540-460: Is one of two main types of traditional Moroccan houses, often with two or more stories around an interior symmetrical garden centered around a fountain. Riads were the stately city homes of the wealthiest citizens such as merchants and courtiers who were able to build mansions which included interior gardens. The style of these riads has changed over the years, but the basic form is still used in designs today. In many cases, especially for palaces,

585-579: Is the governing institution in Morocco and in pre-1957 Tunisia , centered on the monarch and consisting of royal notables, top-ranking military personnel, landowners, security service bosses, civil servants and other well-connected members of the establishment . The term "Makhzen" is also popularly used in Morocco as a word meaning "State" or "Government". The word makhzen ( Arabic : مخزن ) literally means "warehouse" in Arabic (from khazana 'to store up' ), where

630-702: The Arabic term for "gardens": رياض ( riyāḍ ), the plural of روضة ( rawḍa ). Historically, the term referred to a type of interior garden common to historic Moorish architecture in Al-Andalus ( Iberian Peninsula ) and North Africa . In particular, it referred to rectangular courtyard garden that is symmetrically divided into four parts along its central axes and typically has a fountain at its middle. Riad architecture ultimately has ancient roots in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern domestic architecture. Houses centered around inner courtyards existed across

675-481: The Arabic definite article ), meaning warehouse. It was also incorporated into French and Italian as magasin (meaning 'store') and magazzino . It came into the English language from Middle French as magazine , originally referring to a storehouse for ammunition and later to publications . With the "store" meaning, it was also adopted from French into Russian as Магазин and into Romanian as magazin . In

720-542: The Maghreb and al-Andalus . Its classic form is a rectangular garden divided into four quadrants by two paved paths intersecting in the center, where a fountain is typically situated. The planted areas are usually sunken below the level of the paths. Its origin is generally attributed to traditional Persian gardens whose influence spread during the Islamic period . The term "riad" is nowadays often used in Morocco to refer to

765-583: The Quran . In recent years there has been a surge of interest in using traditional Moroccan houses as part of the country's tourism industry. In this context, the term riad has become a common term to denote traditional Moroccan houses in general, particularly those converted into tourist accommodation. This interest has led to a wave of renovations in towns such as Marrakesh, Essaouira , and Fes, where many of these often-crumbling houses have been restored and converted to hotels, guesthouses, or restaurants. Many of

810-534: The Berber culture of Morocco, the Berber equivalent of mekhzen ('warehouse') would be agadir . Berber tribes also considered the agadir (warehouse of the tribe's crops and valuables) as a powerhouse guarded and managed through a legal system. The Makhzen is a very ancient notion in Morocco, it roughly coincides with the notion of the feudal state predating the French protectorate in Morocco . Bilād al-makhzen ('the land of

855-526: The Castillejo of Monteagudo (near Murcia , 12th century) and the Alhambra (13th-15th centuries). However, it is unclear to what extent Moroccan riads and houses were inspired by models imported by immigrants from al-Andalus or to what extent they developed locally in parallel with Andalusi versions. What is certain, however, is that there was historically a close cultural and geopolitical relationship between

900-500: The Funduq el-Jild under the direction of the secretary of the treasury at the time, Haj Bel-Madani Bennis. It was around this time that he started building his palace, Dar Moqri. Historical documents of the house's floor plan indicate that it existed or was being built in 1880. He later became the secretary of finance ( amin al-mustafad ) in Dar Adiyil (the state treasury at the time) and then

945-476: The ability to build a great mansion for himself. The size and richness of the residence reflects his family's wealth at the time. An inscription in the house records the date 1901-02, which probably indicates a major renovation at this time. Abdelsalam died at the age of 75 in 1905, leaving three sons: Hajj Muhammad , Si Dris, and Si Ahmad. Muhammad al-Mokri assisted and then replaced his father as secretary of royal constructions before becoming secretary in charge of

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990-494: The ancient Greco-Roman world and, before that, in the ancient Middle East . Interior gardens are also an ancient feature of domestic architecture in the Middle East, and the geometrically arranged gardens of Islamic architecture derive from Iranian civilization in particular. Archaeological remains of similar gardens have been found in and around ancient Mesopotamia , and the later evolution of such gardens can be found in

1035-424: The construction of several new mansions by wealthy families. Abdelsalam al-Mokri's patron, Bel-Madani Bennis, had already built a palace (no longer preserved) in this neighbourhood when Abdelsalam started construction on his own mansion. The Glaoui family and the al-Tazi family also built their palatial mansions ( Dar Glaoui and Dar Tazi) in the same district nearby. These two mansions still exist today. The palace

1080-600: The construction of the main Dar Moqri palace is difficult to establish, but it may have been completed in its present form in the early 20th century by Muhammad al-Moqri. Dar Moqri is located in the district which was historically known as al-'Uyun ("the Sources") and is known today as the Ziat or Ziyat neighbourhood. Until the 19th century this area had been a garden district with few houses and plenty of open space to build, thus attracting

1125-406: The courtyard grant access to the different wings of the house. The northeast wing is occupied by a large chamber opening from the two-story masriya or reception room for guests, while on a floor above this is a hall covered by a grand wooden dome which was probably added at a later period after the construction of the original palace. Today the masriya is independent from the rest of the palace and

1170-431: The edges of the gardens. One of them was originally a music pavilion while another used to be a hammam (bathhouse), but both have been repurposed today. The main residential complex to the south consists of two main courtyards or patios each surrounded by an array of rooms across two stories. There are at least fifty rooms in all, including guest rooms, along with private hammams, kitchens, stables, and storage areas. Of

1215-401: The first half of the 20th century. The northern courtyard has a central fountain with a water basin shaped like an eight-pointed star. Unlike other traditional Moroccan house courtyards, there are no galleries on any side. An imposing wooden canopy, richly sculpted with geometric patterns and muqarnas friezes, projects inward from the upper part of all four walls to form a large skylight. In

1260-522: The garden area – with two different axes, instead of one main axis with symmetrical structures on either side. The large garden to the north is divided into three terraces with views over the city. The lowest terrace of this garden is larger than the others and is divided into four parts by two intersecting paths and a central fountain, much like a traditional riad garden . The gardens are planted tall cypress trees alongside various other trees and plants. Several small structures and kiosks are built around

1305-463: The gardens were surrounded by a peristyle gallery. Moroccan houses were inward focused, which allowed for family privacy and protection from the weather. This inward focus was expressed with a centrally placed interior garden or courtyard , and the lack of large windows on the exterior walls of rammed earth or mud brick. This design principle also found support in the social mores of Islamic society, which placed great value on privacy and encouraged

1350-523: The grand geometrically-arranged gardens of Iranian and Mughal architecture , known as a chahar bagh . In addition to the existing influences of Greco-Roman culture in the Mediterranean, the formation of the Islamic world after the 7th century also spread and established these architectural models across the region and all the way to al-Andalus in the Iberian Peninsula . Interior gardens were

1395-556: The king's civil servants used to receive their wages; but this usage of the word became in Moroccan Arabic synonymous with the elite. It is likely a metonymy related to taxes , which the makhzen used to collect; the term may also refer to the state or its actors, but this usage is increasingly rare and is primarily used by the older generation. It is the origin of the Spanish and Portuguese almacén and armazém (with addition of

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1440-458: The makhzen') was the term for the areas under central government authority, while those areas still run by tribal authority were known as bilād as-siba ('the land of dissidence'). Hubert Lyautey , who served as resident-general of Morocco from 1912 until 1925 during the era of the protectorate, was a fervent proponent of indirect colonisation, especially in Berber -speaking areas. Lyautey maintained

1485-565: The markets and trades ( amin al-shukara ). In 1905 he rose to the position of grand vizier under Sultan Abdelaziz . Around this time, the Glaoui and Moqri families became the two most important families in Morocco (aside from the royal family), dividing most of the important government positions between them. During this period, only the highest-ranking head of the Moqri family resided in the main palace of Dar Moqri. Muhammad al-Moqri eventually became one of

1530-502: The minister of finances. It was he who built a second mansion adjoining the main family palace to the southeast, with a long courtyard and Italianate details. His brother, Si Dris, served as muhtasib of Fez. He owned a library and built his own luxurious mansion, also known as the "Riad Driss Moqri", located separately in the Oued Sawwafin neighbourhood (also spelled Oued Swafin or Oued Souafine) further north. The exact chronology of

1575-518: The model of the riad garden was perfected and established as a standard feature of interior secular or palace architecture in the region. It was particularly successful and common in Marrakesh, where the combination of climate and available space made it well-suited to the architecture of the bourgeois mansions and royal palaces built in the city. Although little remains of the Hafsid -era palaces in Tunisia,

1620-502: The most important figures in modern Moroccan history. He was grand vizier under Sultan Abd al-Hafid when the French Protectorate was imposed on Morocco in 1912 and he kept this post under Abd al-Hafid's formal successors throughout the 44-year period of French colonial rule, until right after Moroccan independence in 1956. He died in 1957, at the age of 105. During his tenure, one of his sons, known as Si Tayb, served as delegate of

1665-404: The northwest wall of the courtyard is a large alcove (similar to an iwan ) containing a large wall fountain covered with rich zellij (mosaic tilework) in radiating star patterns. The fountain is sheltered under a muqarnas ceiling. Large double doors occupy the center of the other three sides of the courtyard and grant access to large decorated chambers. Other smaller doorways in the corners of

1710-436: The palace, today repurposed as a separate apartment. The southeast wing consists of several rooms on both the ground floor and upper floor. The upper floor includes a rectangular hall that is richly decorated and covered by a grand wooden ceiling of the berchla (or bershla ) type. This wing grants access to the large southern courtyard. This courtyard is in turn is flanked by its more rooms and structures, but their architecture

1755-498: The role of the Makhzen and even enhanced it by giving important roles to local notables such as Thami El Glaoui . Local notables acted as a relay between the population and the French authorities. Riad (architecture) A riad or riyad ( Arabic : رياض , romanized :  riyāḍ ) is a type of garden courtyard historically associated with house and palace architecture in

1800-553: The secretary of royal constructions ( amin bina' malaki ). As secretary of royal constructions, he was charged by Moulay Hassan to oversee the construction of the Dar al-Makina and of the Dar Batha and Dar al-Baida Palaces . He was also charged in 1889 with resolving issues with the water supply of the Oued Fes . These responsibilities gave him considerable prestige and importance which afforded him

1845-578: The two lands on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar . When the Almoravids (who were based in Morocco) conquered al-Andalus in the 11th century they commissioned Muslim, Christian and Jewish artisans from al-Andalus to work on monuments in Morocco and throughout their empire, further contributing to a shared architectural and artistic heritage between al-Andalus and North Africa. The earliest known example of

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1890-406: The two main courtyards, the one to the north is smaller and rectangular while the one to the south is larger and has an irregular quadrilateral shape. The northern courtyard and its adjacent sections are probably older than the southern section and would thus correspond with the house originally built by Abdelsalam al-Moqri in the late 19th century. The southern courtyard was more likely built later in

1935-452: Was described as featuring enclosed gardens, although nothing of these has survived to the present day. Riad gardens were major elements of later Moroccan royal palaces, although sometimes in a form slightly different or more complex than the classic four-part division. The Badi Palace in Marrakesh, a lavish reception palace built by the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in the late 16th century,

1980-504: Was essentially a giant rectangular riad courtyard, with symmetrical gardens, pools, and two monumental pavilions facing each other at either end. (The presence of two pavilions in this manner was also reminiscent of the layout of the much smaller Court of the Lions in the Alhambra . ) The Saadian palace built by al-Mansur in the Agdal Gardens , replaced by modern structures today, also had

2025-478: Was reportedly designed by an Italian architect and as a result there are also traces of European influence, including classic Italian motifs appearing in the carved capitals of the columns around the courtyard. 34°03′30.6″N 4°58′30.5″W  /  34.058500°N 4.975139°W  / 34.058500; -4.975139 Makhzen Makhzen ( Arabic : المخزن , Moroccan Arabic : لمخزن , Berber languages : ⵍⵎⴻⵅⵣⴰⵏ , romanized:  Lmexzen )

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