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Week 11_Morocco
Manual Labor. Yep, that pretty much describes the people working in Morocco. By visiting Fez, I really fully appreciate everything that I have at my disposal in the US or even here in Spain. Morocco really is, as our tour guide Mo Mo said, "like going back in time for us." Everything is still done by hand - textiles, the leather tannery, the pottery and clay works, the hand carved bronze products, wood carpentry...etc...and this is what makes everything in Morocco so authentic. The tile work throughout the city (all hand placed and painted), the beautiful plaster carvings, and the amazing wood craftsmanship are all so awe inspiring because they are all done by the human hand. In terms of the culture, beware of the "Balecs" which translates to an oncoming donkey, yes they still use donkeys to transport goods around the city...and they are everywhere. The markets are all outdoors with meat hanging from the ceilings of the stands and chickens in cages waiting to reach the butcher block...yeah it was kind of eye opening to see that people actually still live like that...
With the "day to day" culture aside, the architecture of Morocco is definitely an agent of the culture and more importantly the religion. The Islamic style architecture found in Fez is based around the religious function of the society. The geometries used in the much of the designs are informed by the perfection of God and His pure state of being. Typically, the architecture is symmetrical and based around a similar plan that is repeated throughout Fez. This plan consisted of a portal entrance leading to a courtyard with a central fountain; the courtyard is, in most cases, surrounded by salons and/or a small mosque. The housing typologies within the city followed this same symmetrical style; the two main housing typologies we studied in Fez were that of a Dar and a Riad. We actually stayed in a Dar (Dar Al Andalous), as our hotel was a renovated Dar, and let me tell you it was like a Palace, it was beautiful. The center of a Riad or a Dar is usually occupied by a fountain; this architectural move may be symbolic of the idea that the human can never occupy the center of a space as the human is not perfect and thus the center is reserved for God alone. So as one can see, the architecture in the Islamic/Muslim World is very informative of their cultural practices and their strong religious following.
Overall, I have to say, despite Morocco being so different from anything I have seen thus far, it was probably one of my favorite trips since I've been in Europe. It's definitely something everyone should experience at least once in their lives.
Manual Labor. Yep, that pretty much describes the people working in Morocco. By visiting Fez, I really fully appreciate everything that I have at my disposal in the US or even here in Spain. Morocco really is, as our tour guide Mo Mo said, "like going back in time for us." Everything is still done by hand - textiles, the leather tannery, the pottery and clay works, the hand carved bronze products, wood carpentry...etc...and this is what makes everything in Morocco so authentic. The tile work throughout the city (all hand placed and painted), the beautiful plaster carvings, and the amazing wood craftsmanship are all so awe inspiring because they are all done by the human hand. In terms of the culture, beware of the "Balecs" which translates to an oncoming donkey, yes they still use donkeys to transport goods around the city...and they are everywhere. The markets are all outdoors with meat hanging from the ceilings of the stands and chickens in cages waiting to reach the butcher block...yeah it was kind of eye opening to see that people actually still live like that...
With the "day to day" culture aside, the architecture of Morocco is definitely an agent of the culture and more importantly the religion. The Islamic style architecture found in Fez is based around the religious function of the society. The geometries used in the much of the designs are informed by the perfection of God and His pure state of being. Typically, the architecture is symmetrical and based around a similar plan that is repeated throughout Fez. This plan consisted of a portal entrance leading to a courtyard with a central fountain; the courtyard is, in most cases, surrounded by salons and/or a small mosque. The housing typologies within the city followed this same symmetrical style; the two main housing typologies we studied in Fez were that of a Dar and a Riad. We actually stayed in a Dar (Dar Al Andalous), as our hotel was a renovated Dar, and let me tell you it was like a Palace, it was beautiful. The center of a Riad or a Dar is usually occupied by a fountain; this architectural move may be symbolic of the idea that the human can never occupy the center of a space as the human is not perfect and thus the center is reserved for God alone. So as one can see, the architecture in the Islamic/Muslim World is very informative of their cultural practices and their strong religious following.
Overall, I have to say, despite Morocco being so different from anything I have seen thus far, it was probably one of my favorite trips since I've been in Europe. It's definitely something everyone should experience at least once in their lives.
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