Can you imagine waking up to bold colors, engaging patterns, and comforting textures? Moroccan style is so iconic that it has caught on in popularity throughout the world.
This decorating trend comes from Moroccan and Moorish architecture. Moroccan style décor features lush carpets, mosaic tiles, warm lanterns, and rich colors. There is nothing boring about it.
Moroccan style is a blending of history and traditional artistry. It is a commitment to handmade. Everything made in Morocco is different and special.
Merriam-Webster defines Moroccan style as “one characteristic of an individual, period, school, or nation.” The fashion industry uses style to categorize current trends or start new fads.
Set between Europe and Africa, Morocco has experienced centuries of different rulers, kingdoms, and cultural influences. From the ancient Berbers to the Muslim Arabs, Moors, and French, each ruler and culture left a legacy. This diverse history is often best represented in the Moroccan architecture, with intermingled styles found across the country, from Marrakesh to Casablanca.
Read also: Characteristics of Moroccan Architecture
Medina of Fez, Morocco. Source: Wikipedia
Where else can you see the ancient red clay Berber kasbahs, gaze up at the dazzling Islamic tiled domes and minarets, wander through Moorish white stucco facades and Andalusian gardens, and spot the Art Deco buildings left by the French… All in one country.
Moroccan architecture reflects Morocco's diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military conquest. Much of Morocco's traditional architecture is marked by the style that developed during the Islamic period, from the 7th century onward.
Although Moroccan Amazigh architecture is not strictly separate from the rest of Moroccan architecture, many structures and architectural styles are distinctively associated with traditionally Amazigh or Amazigh-dominated regions such as the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara and pre-Sahara regions. These mostly rural regions are marked by numerous kasbahs (fortresses) and ksour (fortified villages) shaped by local geography and social structures, of which one of the most famous is Ait Benhaddou.
They are typically made of rammed earth and decorated with local geometric motifs.
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One of the most common types of construction in Morocco was rammed earth, an ancient building technique found across the Near East, Africa, and beyond. It is also known as "pisé" (from French) or "tabia" (from Arabic).
The ramparts of Fes, Marrakesh, and Rabat, for example, were made with this process, even though some notable structures (like monumental gates) were also built in stone. It generally made use of local materials and was widely used thanks to its low cost and relative efficiency.
Historical Influences on Moroccan Design
Where did Morocco’s distinctive style begin? Through the influences of many conquests of the country. It is an innovative conglomeration of designs from Islamic, French, and Spanish taste.
Islamic, French, and Spanish influences played a major role. The true heart of decorative art in Morocco is a focus on originality.
At the heart of Moroccan architecture lies the legacy of the Berber people, whose structures reflect harmony with nature and ingenious use of local materials. Iconic kasbahs, made of mud bricks and stone, seamlessly blend into the rugged landscape, embodying both practicality and beauty.
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Berber culture also introduced the use of geometric patterns and symbolic designs. These elements, rich with cultural meaning, appear everywhere-from the walls of rural homes to the urban architecture of Moroccan cities. Early coastal influences, such as those from the Phoenicians, added new layers to Berber ingenuity, shaping early Moroccan settlements with advanced urban planning concepts.
Islamic and Andalusian Cultures
The arrival of Islamic traditions brought a profound transformation to Moroccan architecture. Mosques became the centerpiece of cities, their intricate geometric patterns and calligraphy embodying a devotion to both faith and artistry.
The arrival of Moorish culture from Al-Andalus introduced iconic features like colorful tilework, elaborate courtyards, and ornate arches. The Almohad dynasty further refined this style, building monumental mosques and madrasas that emphasized simplicity paired with grandeur. These architectural marvels remain timeless symbols of Morocco’s cultural richness and artistic innovation.
Design in the Islamic world is very elegant and well-defined. You will notice this showcased in palaces, mosques, and tombs. Morocco adopted many of these new ideas. The famous tiling in Morocco comes from the Persian tiles of the Arabs. It is a way of making surfaces attractive.
Early tiles on floors and walls were blue and white. Green came into the picture later with Roman tile. You can now find Moroccan tiles decorating any surface in a wide range of colors. Moroccan mosaic tiling, called “zellij,” is in high demand.
Water is a symbol of paradise and seen as a gift from God in Islam. The building of public fountains was to ensure people had a source of clean water at all times. Over time, these fountains have become more and more decorative.
Tastir (geometric) patterns used throughout Morocco are breathtaking. Repeating geometric patterns called “arabesque” is the symbol of eternity. Another pattern that emerged is floral patterns, called “tawriq.” Islam does not encourage the portrayal of animal figures or humans in art. Both tastir and tawriq patterns are on surfaces everywhere, using almost any material.
5 Tips for Moroccan Style Interior Decorating
The most popular materials are tile, wood, and stucco. It is not uncommon to find both patterns used together on floors, walls, and fountains.
Moroccan design has also had influences from neighboring Spain. They both share a passion for bold color and decorative detail. Morocco housed refugees from Spain in the 1500s. The overlapping roof tiles are handmade and hand-glazed. This gorgeous roof jewelry is a Spanish tradition adopted by Morocco.
The famous arches used in buildings and Morocco houses also came from Spain. Cusped arches have circular shapes made of foils. Horseshoe arches look like the shape of a keyhole.
French Colonial Influence
The French protectorate of 1912 helped establish building standards. It also maintained control over a big real estate boom. The purpose was to promote more tourism. The French also created new cities on the outskirts.
New public parks and wide streets lined with buildings followed specific rules. Today, Moroccan architecture combines both the old and new in exciting ways.
The Treaty of Fes established the French Protectorate in 1912. The French resident general Hubert Lyautey appointed Henri Prost to oversee the urban development of cities under his control.
One important policy with long-term consequences was the decision to largely forego redevelopment of existing historic cities and to deliberately preserve them as sites of historic heritage, still known today as the "medinas". Instead, the French administration built new modern cities (the Villes Nouvelles) just outside the old cities, where European settlers largely resided with modern Western-style amenities.
The building regulations maintained the country's pre-existing architectural features and balanced the rapid urbanization. In some cases French officials removed or remodelled more recent pre-colonial Moroccan structures which had been visibly influenced by European styles in order to erase what they deemed as foreign or non-indigenous interference in Moroccan architecture.
In turn, French architects constructed buildings in the new cities that conformed to modern European functions and layouts but whose appearance was heavily blended with local Moroccan decorative motifs, resulting in a Mauresque or Neo-Moorish-style architecture. This was especially evident in some cities like the capital of Rabat, where grand new administrative buildings were designed in this style alongside European-style boulevards.
In some cases, the French also inserted Moroccan-looking structures in the fabric of the old cities, such as the Bab Bou Jeloud gate in Fes (completed in 1913) and the nearby Collège Moulay Idriss (opened in 1914).
Key Features of Moroccan Architecture
The best way to describe Moroccan style decorating is through layering. It is overlapping architectural shapes, decorative finishes, vivid colors, and intricate patterns. Do not be afraid to use bold colors and combine floral and geometric patterns together.
The keys to Morocco style include layering color, patterns, textures, and objects.
Moroccan design is all about colour, texture & fluid lines. It is a unique blend of North African, Mediterranean & Islamic styles, creating a distinctive look which has inspired artists & designers all over the world.
Some of the readily recognized features of Moroccan design include Islamic geometric patterns, vivid colors, and zillij tiles. Zillij tiles are terra cotta tile-work of enamel chips set in plaster to create mosaic geometric shapes.
Zillij tiles are a visual language composed of shapes, patterns & colours. Morocco has some of the last traditional workshops devoted to the preservation & production of zillij, the living craft of hand-cut glazed mosaic tile developed in Andalusia in the twelfth century.
Moroccan Zillij Tiles. Source: Pinterest
Open courtyards filled with lush gardens and tiled water fountain are a mainstay in Moroccan architectural style. U-shaped entries and large domes further define Moroccan designs.
Traditional Moroccan homes are made of stucco with wooden beams and supports. The homes are commonly white-washed and gleam in the bright Saharan sunlight.
Few right angles exist in Moroccan design. Doorways and windows are arched or shaped in the traditional Islamic key-hole design.
Moroccan design incorporates bold colors, such as fuchsia, royal blue, deep purple, and vibrant red, with the soothing neutral colors of the desert, such as sand, taupe, beige, and shades of white. Bold accent walls are common in this design style.
Texture is important in Moroccan design. Rough stucco walls, smooth silken tapestries, and rugs are just a few textures found in Moroccan interior design.
Textiles in Moroccan interior design drape & flow. Silks, gauze-like fabrics, & drapery sheers are commonly used to divide rooms, to frame windows & to throw across furniture. Textiles are also important as floor coverings, often seen in woven kilim rugs.
Furniture in Moroccan design is a combination of delicately-carved wooden pieces and plush over-stuffed upholstered ones including couches & pillows.
Accent pieces also reflect the Islamic influences on Moroccan design. Lamps are often hung from the ceiling & are commonly made of metals, such as brass & copper. Other popular Moroccan style accents include mirrors, often framed in metal or wooden with arabesque design.
In Moroccan design it’s all about details and every piece is crafted with skill, love and artistry.
Exquisite details and Islamic geometry & pattern are prominent across all aspects of Moroccan architecture, including ceilings even.
Carving is traditional craft and the most amazing carved details are found in Moroccan design aesthetics, with beautiful arabesque & Islamic geometric patterns.
The colour palette used in Moroccan architecture and design is a harmonious combination of delicate pastels with vibrant bold colours, balanced with soothing neutrals.
Beautiful Islamic gardens & green courtyards are abundant in Morocco.
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