People leave comments across this site asking for contacts who know how to build or craft traditional Moroccan furnishings and interiors. I can’t blame them. Check out the great post and pictures “Four Riads in Five Days.” I wish I knew architects versed in Moroccan design. I wish there were more Moroccan design in America, which is where I’ve been stuck for the last few years.

I feel bad for neglecting this site. Morocco is never far from my mind.

I’ve been doing lots of custom painting, stencils, and lighting at home. I appreciate the peace Moroccan design brings me, even when I’m so far from Moroccan sunlight. There’s no substitue for sunlight.

There’s an empty bank building in Washington, DC, near where I work. There’s a closed Hann’s Shoes story on the street level. I wish, I dream, I see a space inside of it, renovated with a riad’s interior and a fresh produce vendor on the street level shop. We live so much better together, or so do the two cultures inside me.

Moroccan design makes the best use of light and space. The rooms waste nothing. And everything is an extension of the space. No pre-fab. No standard. Custom everything.

I want this bathroom so bad. Where are you, Moroccan design?

The Volubilis Visitor Center was designed to leave a minimal imprint on visitors to the Roman ruins and UNESCO World Heritage site. The new buildings fold themselves into the hills and the ruins take center stage.

The project was completed by Kilo Architecture. I appreciate the intention of clean, considerate, and lovely architecture. If I were in Morocco, I would go to Volubilis to see the new as well as the old.

See the Achitecture Review article for more details on the project.

I never heard of Moorish revival architecture until I saw the Bloomingdale’s home store in Chicago. It is housed in a restored Masonic temple built by architects Huehl and Schmidt in 1912 for the Shriners.

The building was declared a historic Chicago landmark in 2001. After renovations, which included replacing the original domes, the Bloomingdale’s home store opened there in 2003.

According to the Medinah Shriners website, they, aka Shriners or Shrine Masons, belong to the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine for North America (A.A.O.N.M.S.). They’re only tied to an Arabic theme through the imagination of its founders, Billy Florence, an actor, and Walter Fleming, a physician. Florence attended a party in Marseilles hosted by an Arabian diplomat. At the end of the party, the guests became members of a secret society. Florence returned to the States inspired by his Marseilles experience and worked with Fleming to create an exotic backdrop for the fraternity. They designed elaborate rituals, salutations, emblems, and costumes, including the Shriners’ distinguishing red Fez hat.

When the building opened, it housed the fraternity. They gathered in a red velvet audotrorium now filled with escaltors, $1,000 sheets, and a cool sound system designed under the constraints the historic status placed on renovations: no speakers mounted on the dome and floating floors.

The Shriners used to hold parades for children regardless of religion. They still work today towards child welfare and health issues.

The building is obviously Moroccan-inspried. I love the way the eight-point star is used in the stain glass windows like a head of a body.

“This pattern is called ‘The Spider’” our guide said excitedly while gesturing towards a zillige-covered wall. “The Prophet Mohammad was hiding in a cave from his enemies when a spider came and built a web over the entrance. His enemies believed he couldn’t be in the cave because the web was unbroken. This is why it is haram (forbidden) to kill spiders and why this pattern is called named after the spider.”

I’m not sure when I first heard the story of the cave and the spider web. This time the story was told to me on visiting a 14th century medrassa in Fes. I was happy to learn the name for a zillij pattern. And I was intrigued to find another instance of the symbolism of eight within Moroccan design.

The symmetry of eight, according to Keith Critchow, is central to the genius of Moroccan pattern. Even though I read Critchow’s book “Islamic Patterns” I wanted more information on the role of symmetries of eight in Moroccan design, which is why I researched and wrote about the origins and meanings of the eight-point star.

The story of the spider web covering the cave isn’t in the Koran. That story is included in a hadith, stories covering the life events of the Prophet. The Koran includes 114 chapters (surah) including ones named after bees, ants, and spiders. In the Spider, it is written:

“The likeness for those who take to themselves guardians instead of God is the likeness of the Spider who buildeth her a house: But verily, frailest of all houses surely is the house of the spider.” (source)

In the hadith story, it is the fraility of the spider’s house that makes the enemies of the Prophet certain he couldn’t have entered the cave without breaking the web.

So what is the symbolism of the spider pattern? Strength? Fragility? Protection?

Stories of the mystical spider webs occur in multiple cultures. Just as the symbolism behind the eight point star is not uniquely Moroccan, I think the symbolism of the spider pattern is something more primal. The number eight helps us make sense of our world, like a compass with the eight familiar directions: north, north east, east, south east, south, south west, west, north west.

(You’re right, Gene. I posted the wrong photo but added the correct image to the beginning of the post. Others – the old photo is below.)

Gene Turangan was kind enough to send me some photos of his workshop in Indonesia. He makes Moroccan-style mosaic tables and vanities using his own technique.

His team uses monochromatic, unglazed floor tiles which cut into furmah, the traditional shapes. He uses fiber cement for outdoor tables or medium density fiber for indoor tables as the base.

This technique results in quicker production and a smoother, lighter table top as no cement or iron are required.

The fact his work doesn’t require iron edging means he can use other materials, such as the following designs which are trimmed with wood.

His inspiration? One book: “Arabesques” by Jean-Mark Castera; isbn 2-86770-124-4. Gene notes while Castera writes “Moroccan zillij craftsman have nothing to fear about sharing their technique.The materials,tools and tiles made elsewhere are impossible to cut.” He “was lucky to have created zillij mosaics 3 years before reading this book. My techniques are simple and don’t require any particular expertise. Geometric patterns are mathematics, either in Africa or anyplace in the world. The result should be the same.”

Unfortunately, his products are not yet available for sale online. Perhaps something we can look forward to in the future? His workshop is in Indonesia and he sells locally or through trade shows. For now, perhaps his work will inspire you to start a project all your own.

You can contact Gene via email at turangan at gmail.com.

Since returning from Morocco to the solid walls of the United States, I’ve been craving pattern. My solid-color walls are staring at me like a blinking cursor on the computer screen. Judging by the pages of the Fall 2008 Pier One catalog, I’m not alone. Could it be that wall paper is making a comeback?

If I can gather enough time and ambition, I may try using one of the architectural designs offered by Modello Designs. New Moroccan designs will be coming forward, no doubt, inspired by their visit to Marrakesh Maryam‘s Peacock Pavillions. If only I lived in San Diego I could go to Modello’s Elegant Reflections class.

Perhaps I can make my own stencil inspired by a wall in Fes. I’m thinking metalic embossing on a dark, distressed wall. But color is soothing too.

Pattern soothing?

The latest role in the get-paid portion of my life is that of an information architect. I’m always looking for patterns; conceptual and behavioral. Tesselating walls let my mind connect-the-dots in unexpected ways. Clean patterns. Clear patterns. Not vegetal, but straight-lined arabesques. For me, they are the ultimate meditation on order and perception.

An easier approach would be to buy some lovely rustic modern Berber carpet, which carry all the geometry and slight surprise that comes with Moroccan design. Don’t believe me? Axis Gallery has an online exhibition of Berber carpets Atlas Warp: Talismanic Rugs of Moroccan Nomads. The Berber Arts website also has a great article on Berber weaving. Judge for yourself. They are not the fine silk creatures of Persia, but they are lovely expressions of order, pattern, and simplicity.

Thankfully, layering patterns seems to be the ultimate chic for the daring. So, perhaps I can have my patterned walls and wall art too. For now, my blinking-cursor-walls await me…

According to an article by Sarah Touahri at Maghrebia.com, earlier this month the Moroccan Secretary of State for Traditional Crafts Anis Birou revealed government plans to open the country’s first higher institute for training in traditional crafts by 2010. Training in handicrafts has traditionally been done through apprenticeship. A formal training institute will help address problems in production and help the handicraft sector meet international demand for Moroccan goods – a need not being met by current supply. The full story is online at full article at maghrebia.com.

My only question is: can they teach me to make stencils like the ones hanging in this wood working shop in Fes?

Color is never shy in Moroccan design. Bold blues, rustic oranges, tropical greens mix with metalic accents. Flavors of vegetables like eggplant and olive, spices such like saffron and cumin, and fruits like the barbarian fig offer further color inspiration.

The African sun seems to pulsate a few inches above your head, and at noon the sun can bleach the world white. This is when you put on a hat and search for shadows. This is when Moroccan latice work shows its true brillance. From the shadows you can watch time pass as the latice work grows like a vine over the ground.

The African sun changes color. A good designer sets the stage so that the light of Moroccan day has the proper tools to play with. Alas, in DC I live in a three-story house that gets barely any natural light. I set out to duplicate a hint of the feeling of color and light in Morocco. Of course, this is impossible to do without the sun and its movement though the day.

I’ve read over and over again that dark colors make spaces feel smaller, but in the picture below what looks further away, dark colors of light?

Imagine how the archways in a mosque or medrasa would look without the contrast between light and dark? Would you feel the space at all if it were all an equal shade of white?

I say contrast is the key. Use it wisely. If the sun does it for you; great. If not, paint some contrast into your life.

The above color choices offer contrast and highlights that integrate custom Moroccan products store-bought goods in the States.

With a bit of contrast, a few bold shapes, and a dash of the unexpected, you can keep your mind a bit more engaged with your surroundings. May these colors bring a sense of grounding and haromony to your home as well as mine.

From the looks of Fall catalogs by Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn, jewel tones will be in supply for the winter. Now is a great chance to go Moroccan with you interiors. The multi-purpose function of a Moroccan salon suites modern lifestyles and fashion trends. Bring on Bohemian style!

I found myself in a SUV driven by an American who was touring Morocco with his girlfriend from Chezh Republic. I assumed they were married and asked how long. “They aren’t married” my tour guide whispered “that’s why he laughed when you asked the question.”

We talked as we drove towards the Merinid tombs. “Moroccans sure like their walls, don’t they?” the man asked rhetorically. “They have walls around nothing. He told me” the American said in reference to our guide “that the holes in the walls are for birds.”

“Seems to me they would be for guns.” I responded.
“That’s what I said!” the American exclaimed excitedly.
“No, I told you they’re for birds.” the guide said with exasperation.
I replied that it seemed like a lot of work to do just for the birds. “And the guns would offer protection, which is the point of the exterior wall, right? Protection?”
“Well, you know Morocco. Nothing is done just as-is. Everything has to be beautiful.” the guide added as justification.

That almost seemed true. Morocco is visually ornate. But, Morocco is not ambitious. I can’t imagine a craftsman would complicate building procedures of an exterior wall just for the birds.

Detail of Bab Mansour in Meknes.

Later in Meknes, I began to appreciate the holes as bird homes. I watched mosquitoes fly in spirals in a sun beam in the garden. They nipped my ankles as I ate my lunch. They left marks along my daughter’s arms which she scratched until bleeding. As I watched birds fly in and out of the holes in wall around Bab Mansour I wished them a hearty meal of flies and mosquitoes. I thought of the owl, bat, and bird houses that were installed in my Maryland neighborhood to attract predators to control the mosquito and rodent population. Perhaps the holes were just for the birds?

“The holes are left when they remove the scaffolding used to construct the wall” the owner of Riad Safir later explained to me.”

Well, the holes in the wall are practical, even if not used for firing guns. As a by-product of construction procedures, they do make very functional and welcome bird houses.

Sitting on the beach in Restinga looking at the Mediterranean I imagine Phoenicians sailing their galley ships across from Lebanon to Morocco. The oarsmen could rest on a windy day like today as they sailed their ship westward towards Tingis, modern day Tangiers.

What did Phoenicians bring to Morocco? How did Phoenicians impact Moroccan design? These are questions without clear answers, but that make for lovely seaside daydreams.

According to Berber mythology, the town of Tangier was built by the son of Tingis, a goddess. Tingis was the wife of the giant Anateus, son of Poseidon, and later Hercules. She and the location of Tangiers are associated with the union of the sea and the earth ¹. Tingis was one of many Phoenician colonies in Morocco, the others being Lixus (Larache), Sala (Rabat-Sale), Zili (Asilah), and Mogador (Essaouria) ².

I’ve read that Phoenicians were the first to use the hamsa, the hand talisman that is so commonly seen in Morocco toady, which was used to honor Tanit, the lunar goddess and patron goddess of Carthage. Today the hamsa (five) symbol, is also known as the Hand of Fatima, or Hand of Miriam and has specific meaning in Judaic and Islamic cultures. ⁴.

One website calls the Phoenicians “Missionaries of Civilization.” The Phoenicians were one of the early implementers of the alphabet and their language is the precursor to North African Punic. They wrote many books, none of which survive, but which are quoted in ancient texts that survived from other cultures.

Phoenicians were known for their craftsmanship in metal, ivory, terra cotta, wood, glass, and stone. Yet, Phoenician art is not considered to have any identifying characteristics of its own. It embodies a variety of influences picked up from various cultures through trade, the dominant being Egyptian, Greek, and Assyrian. ⁵.

Besides their accomplishments in maritime trade and implementation of the alphabet, Phoenicians developed Tyrian purple pigment from sea snail shells, which was used by Greek elites to dye their clothing. Mogador (Essaouria) was one of the production centers of this pigment, which could only be obtained by trading with the Phoenicians.

So, what did Phoenicians bring to Morocco? The hamsa talisman? Craftsmanship skills in a variety of mediums? The alphabet? Eastern ideas and products? It is hard to say exactly, because just as archeologists argue of Phoenicians origins, one can argue over the origins of Moroccan design. Both the Phoenicians and Moroccan design are products of a world economy, ethnic diversity, and the movement of people, products, and ideas.