What are houses called in Morocco?

Riads
The riad is one of two main types of traditional Moroccan houses, often with two or more stories around an interior symmetrical garden centered around a fountain. Riads were the stately city homes of the wealthiest citizens such as merchants and courtiers who were able to build mansions which included interior gardens.

What is the courtyard of a riad called?

A riad normally has two or more storeys around an Andalusian-style courtyard that contained a fountain. They usually do not have outside-facing windows. Riads were the city homes of the wealthiest citizens such as merchants and courtiers. The name riad comes from the Arabic word ‘ryad’, meaning a garden.

What are riads in Morocco?

Simply put, a riad is a traditional Moroccan house. The term comes from the Arab word ‘ryad’ (meaning ‘garden’) but is applied to townhouses built around an inner courtyard or garden. True riads will have lush plants in four planting beds and a central fountain, but many variations exist.

Are riads only in Morocco?

Riads are only found in the medinas (old walled centres) of a Moroccan city.

What is Moroccan style architecture?

Moroccan architecture refers to the architecture characteristic of Morocco throughout its history and up to modern times. The country’s diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military conquest, are all reflected in its architecture.

What is a Moroccan garden called?

This type of garden is called a riad.

What are Moroccan houses made of?

Brick and stone In addition to rammed earth, brick and (especially in desert regions) mudbrick were also common types of materials for the construction of houses, civic architecture, and mosques. Many medieval minarets, for example, are made in brick, in many cases covered with other materials for decoration.

What is Moorish garden?

garden design in the western world. Begun in the time of the Egyptians, refined by the Persians, and adopted by the Islamic world, these gardens came to represent a vision of Paradise, a walled and private space protected from the outside and filled with shade, color, abundance, and the sound of water.