Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Riads
Near palaces in Morocco's major cities are grand riads, courtyard mansions where families
of royal relatives, advisors and rich merchants whiled away idle hours gossiping in
bhous
(seating nooks) around arcaded courtyards paved with
zellij
and filled with songbirds twit-
tering in fruit trees. Not a bad set-up, really, and one you can enjoy today in one of the
many converted riad guesthouses in Marrakesh and Fez.
So many riads have become B&Bs over the past decade that 'riad' has become a syn-
onym for 'guesthouse' - but technically, an authentic riad has a courtyard garden divided in
four parts, with a fountain in the centre. A riad is also not to be confused with a
dar,
which
is a simpler, smaller house constructed around a central light well - a more practical struc-
ture for hot desert locales and chilly coastal areas. With more than 1000 authentic riads, in-
cluding extant examples from the 15th century, Marrakesh is the riad capital of North
Africa.
From outside those austere, metre-thick mudbrick walls, you'd never guess what splend-
ours await beyond brass-studded riad doors: painted cedar ceilings, ironwork balconies and
archways dripping with stucco. Upkeep isn't easy, and modernising mudbrick structures
with plumbing and electricity without destabilising the foundations is especially tricky. But
for all its challenges, this ancient material may be the building mater- ial of the future.
Mudbrick insulates against street sound, keeps cool in summer and warm in winter, and
wicks away humidity instead of trapping it like mouldy old concrete - no wonder green
builders around the world are incorporating it into their constructions.
LOST IN THE MEDINA MAZE? FOLLOW SOUQ LOGIC
In labyrinthine Moroccan medinas, winding souqs hardly seem linear, but they do adhere to a certain lo-
gic. Centuries ago, market streets were organised by trade so that medieval shoppers would know where
to head for pickles or camel saddles. More than other medinas, Fez souqs maintain their original medi-
eval organisation: kiosks selling silver-braided trim are right off the kaftan souq, just down the street
from stalls selling hand-woven white cotton for men's jellabas. What about wool? That's in a different
souq, near stalls selling hand-carved horn combs for carding wool. The smelliest, messiest trades were
pushed to the peripheries, so you'll know you're near the edge of the medina when you arrive at tanner-
ies, livestock markets and egg souqs. In Marrakesh, the saddle-making souq is at the northeast end of
the souq, not far from the tanneries.
