Architectural contrasts in Morocco

Old kasbah architectural building

Old kasbah building in the Dades Valley

 

Over recent weeks, I have been sharing many of my photos taken during a tour of Morocco. You can look back through these posts to read them, or you can use the archives to search for them – the link is above the title of this post.

Kasbahs

Over the two weeks of our tour, we saw many magnificent buildings, especially those featuring mosaic tiles. These really caught our attention and we enjoyed visiting such buildings. Part way through our tour we spent two nights in the Dades Valley, a predominantly Berber region of the country. Here the architecture was quite different, as shown in today’s photos. One part of  this area is the is known as the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs on which we travelled on our way to Skoura.

Adobe buildings

One of the architectural features of this region is the adobe buildings of the Berbers, as shown in today’s photos. These old kasbahs are mud structures, either made from mud-bricks or rammed earth. (If this is wrong, could my readers please enlighten me. Our guide was not forthcoming on this matter, and I didn’t ask.)

Many of the old kasbahs are no longer inhabited. A more modern building style in this area is also shown below. It may also be made from mud bricks, but the outer walls have a rendering which makes it look very stylish indeed. I suspect that this modern home may also have been made using local stone which is plentiful in this mountainous region of the Atlas Mountains.

Old building in the Dades Valley set in farming country

Old buildings in the Dades Valley set in farming country

Modern building in the Dades Valley

Modern building in the Dades Valley

Exploring the city of Fes in Morocco

Religious school in Fes, Morocco

One of the places we visited during our stay in the city of Fes in Morocco was this building shown in today’s photos. I didn’t keep notes at the time, but I think it was an Islamic religious school. There were no students there at the time. If my memory is correct this was built many centuries ago and is now just on display for visitors, something of a museum. Whatever it is I found that the calm interior of the building an amazing contrast with the hustle and bustle of life in the medina or the street outside.

 

 

Religious school in Fes, Morocco

Religious school in Fes, Morocco

Religious school in Fes, Morocco

We visit the Borj Sud fortress in Fes, Morocco

Borj Sud, Fes, Morocco

During our visit to Fes in Morocco our tour bus took us up a prominent hill within the city. On this hill is the Borj Sud (South Tower), a prominent fortress overlooking the old city. This fortress was built in the 16th century to overlook and protect the city. It was built by Christian slaves.

We only had enough time here to walk around the perimeter of the fortress. It would have been interesting to look  inside.

Borj Sud, Fes, Morocco

The streets of Fes, Morocco

Street scene in the city of Fes, Morocco

During our visit to Morocco we saw many beautiful buildings, usually decorated with magnificent mosaics. we also wandered through fascinating madinas with their closed in buildings and narrow streets and laneways. we saw ordinary street scenes too, like those in today’s photos, building which would not have been out of place in the inner streets of some Australian cities.

Street scene in the city of Fes, Morocco

Roman ruins of Volubilis in Morocco

Ancient Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco

Ancient Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco

Ancient Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco

Ancient Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco