The Gardens of Marrakech, Morocco — BARBARA ATHANASSIADIS, Travel Writer

***The author in the Majorelle Gardens, Marrakech.***

Marrakech is the city gardens: beautiful, lined with pink walls, with birds chirping in orange trees, small lakes, and kiosks scattered gracefully here and there. In the background, emerge the snow-capped peaks of Atlas mountain, while, above them, tufts of clouds take on the pink color of the sunset.

In the beginning, there was only an arid desert. One day, the Almoravids arrived. They were a Berber tribe of nomads, who became Muslims, coming from the depths of today’s Mauritania. They set up their tents, they organized a rudimentary bazaar (souk), and then the merchants arrived to settle and build their houses. Thus, Marrakech was born. It was the year 1062.

Let us imagine Marrakech in the first years of its foundation. A small desert town with colours like the soil, no green at all. Patiently, the inhabitants were waiting for their warriors (Almoravids) to return from Andalucía, where they went to rule. And when they returned, they brought with them Andalusi artists, gardeners, and builders. Thus, the city was transformed.

First, there were the gardens, considered the most beautiful in the world and preserved with the same love and care. They were designed for leisure: the rustling of the water, the freshness of the foliage, the scents and colours of the flowers. They spread everywhere. In large areas for the sultans, in smaller ones for the Riads (mansions) of the rich merchants that we see in the Medina (Old City) with the charming inner courtyards, the so-called patios.

Now let’s look at a detail: you may have heard the word Dar, which also characterizes a Moroccan residence. What is the difference between a Dar and a Riad?

The Dar has an inner courtyard, which has no regular garden.

***The courtyard of DarMo’ da, Marrakech.***

In contrast, the inner courtyard of the Riad is larger with a tree-planted garden.

***The courtyard of Riad Slitine, Marrakech.***

Usually, wealthy people lived in Riads, however, there were also well-to-do residents who owned beautifully decorated Dars. Especially, in the old, densely populated city of Fez, with its sophisticated architecture. Fez was founded in the early 9th century, but its districts didn’t have the comfort of space.

The patio still remains the center of domestic life. The rooms are distributed around it, and are illuminated by it because, high up, it is open to the sky. It is also the place that, with its size and decoration, represents the social status of the owner and his family, in contrast to Western, European architecture, where the prestige of the owner is represented by the façade of the house.

***The courtyard of Riad El Fenn, Marrakech.***

The origin of the inner courtyard is a legacy of the Greek and Roman tradition, which the Arabs adopted, developed, and spread in the Mediterranean. However, excavations in the Middle East and Mesopotamia have revealed courtyard house designs, some dating back to the fourth millennium. In Marrakech, the Riad or Dar model seems to have been adopted from Andalucía by the Almoravids in the 11th century.

***The courtyard of Dar El Bacha, Marrakech.***

And now, let’s dwell on its beauty.

The patio –inner courtyard– offers pleasures: the rustle of the water, the rich foliage, the smells and colours of the flowers, and the twittering of the birds. The marble fountain, which occupies the center, symbolizes the source of life. In one of the four walls, there is a deep alcove used as an outdoor living room, beautifully decorated with colourful, faience glazed tiles.

There is an explanation for the beauty of the inner courtyard: outside the house –and the city– there are arid plains, rocky mountains, and deserts, a wild nature fraught with dangers and considered hostile. Of course, there is no beauty in the landscape. The beauty of gardens, then, is a way of opposing order to the disorder of the outside world. Only within the shelter of the enclosed garden (jardin clos) there is peace, safety, and the visual pleasure that leads to contemplation.

What else adds to the enjoyment?

The decoration.

Entering the interior of a Dar or a Riad, we will be dazzled by the wooden ceilings. Sculpted and painted on cedar wood, they fascinate us. They are found, not only in the mansions but in the mosques, in the madrasahs (educational-religious institutions), at the gates of the imperial cities of Morocco.

The beautiful ceilings are the pride of Morocco together with the zellij; these tiny, faience tiles, each individually carved by master craftsmen. We see them radiating in inner courtyards, floors, fountains, imperial gates, outer surfaces of minarets, madrasahs, and mosques, in elaborate geometric patterns and bright, enameled colors. In Marrakech, the oldest colours are turquoise and aubergine.

***Dar Darma, Marrakech - Photo attributed to Enrico Constantini.***

The art of zellij is one of the main features of architecture in the Western Islamic world. It traces its origin from the Byzantine mosaics, a tradition that was adapted creatively by local artisans as far away as Andalucía.

In Morocco today, the zellij decoration remains one of the hallmarks of Moroccan cultural and artistic identity. Fez is still the most important center of production. Workshops in other cities like Meknes and Marrakech emulate the same style as the craftsmanship of Fez. Although handmade zellij are extremely expensive, we see them covering countless surfaces when we explore Morocco.

The book ANDALUCIA, The Jewel of the Light is published in Greek. The electronic version will be issued soon.

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