The most authentically Moroccan housing is a riad. Many old riads have been transformed into airy, bright guesthouses, enabling travelers to experience Moroccan life as a local would.
Definition of a Riad
The Arabic term meaning garden serves as the name for riads. An inner garden, which typically has trees and a fountain, is perhaps the most prominent feature of a riad. Around this center garden, riads are typically built on two or more levels, with upper balconies providing views of the bottom level. High-wall roof terraces are also typical.
Architecture of a riad
Three long, narrow rooms that open onto the garden typically make up the lower floor. Though it is typical for at least one of these rooms to be open, creating a larger area for entertaining guests and relaxing, rooms may have doors or curtains. There are more rooms on higher floors that open up to internal balconies. Some rooms have doors or drapes leading to the rooms, while others just have interior windows with shutters and decorative metalwork. A sensation of openness is produced by high ceilings.
A long hallway leads to the riad from a single big entryway at street level. The lower levels lack exterior windows. Only the higher levels have windows, and they are frequently small and located quite high up. The salons typically don’t have any exterior windows.
A riad’s interior walls frequently feature decorative plasterwork and brightly colored tilework. Geometric patterns, floral imagery, and Quranic calligraphy are frequently used in design.
Traditional riads have an open top that lets in fresh air, sunlight, birds, and occasionally even rain. Water pours down into the inner gardens from the pitched roof edges, preventing it from collecting and becoming stagnant. Trees can have strong, tall growth. The entrance is surrounded by the walled roof terrace. Glass is now used to conceal the entrance in some riads.
Kitchens and bathrooms
Instead of being close to the garden, kitchens and baths are typically placed on the ground level, subtly tucked away off the main entrance passageway. Kitchen chimneys allow heat and cooking odors to ascend and dissipate away from the rest of the house. Traditional toilets are typically found in bathrooms, and sinks may be found there or nearby. In the past, private dwellings lacked showers; instead, individuals went to the neighborhood hammam for ritual bathing and cleansing.
What separates a riad from a house?
Although the term “riad” is used to describe many traditional Moroccan residences nowadays, there is one significant distinction between a riad and a house. Houses have an internal courtyard whereas riads have an interior garden. Each, however, has a fairly similar overall structure and style. Dourias are smaller, apartment-like buildings.
Development of riads
Only the medinas (ancient walled areas) of Moroccan cities contain riads. In locations where land was limited or expensive, building upwards rather than outwards gave families access to extra living space. Riads do not have outside windows; therefore, structures could be placed next to one another on up to three sides. This is a major factor in why the medinas are frequently a maze of connected structures and cramped alleyways.
The Roman era is when riads’ distinctive architectural style first emerged. The riad is believed to be an adaption of a standard Roman villa. The gardens and decorative elements were created with the help of Andalusian artisans.
Riads served as the urban homes for affluent families in the past, including courtiers and tradespeople. Other inhabitants of the medina resided in dars or dourias.
The dominance of riads in Moroccan culture
Families can enjoy seclusion thanks to the riad lifestyle’s inward orientation. The fact that women could find comfort inside the confines of their homes, with no outside windows to jeopardize their private lives, was especially significant given the Islamic values that dominated most of Moroccan culture. To enable women to work, wash clothes, or simply unwind with some mint tea on the rooftop, terraces also had high walls. Behind the solid riad doors was, and still is, a whole distinct, segregated world.
A stay in a riad is still a fantastic way to experience life in Morocco’s bustling medinas, despite the fact that guesthouse-style riads have undergone several adaptations and upgrades over the years, with the inclusion of modern bathrooms being one of the most significant improvements.
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