page_title: Moroccan architecture
section_title: The Sharifian dynasties: Saadians and Alaouites (16th-19th centuries)
hierarchical_section_title: Moroccan architecture / History / The Sharifian dynasties: Saadians and Alaouites (16th-19th centuries)
caption_attribution_description: English: Bahia Palace - ceiling of a pavillion in the large riad of the Bahia Palace
context_page_description: 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. This architectural heritage ranges from ancient Roman and Berber sites to 20th-century colonial and modern architecture.
  The most recognizably "Moroccan" architecture, however, is the traditional architecture that developed in the Islamic period which dominates much of Morocco's documented history and its existing heritage. This "Islamic architecture" of Morocco was part of a wider cultural and artistic complex, often referred to as "Hispano-Moorish" art, which characterized Morocco, al-Andalus, and parts of Algeria and even Tunisia. It blended influences from Berber culture in North Africa, pre-Islamic Spain, and contemporary artistic currents in the Islamic Middle East to elaborate a unique style over centuries with recognizable features such as the "Moorish" arch, riad gardens, and elaborate geometric and arabesque motifs in wood, stucco, and tilework.
context_section_description: After the Marinids came the Saadian dynasty, which marked a political shift from Berber-led empires to sultanates led by Arab sharifian dynasties. Artistically and architecturally, however, there was broad continuity and the Saadians are seen by modern scholars as continuing to refine the existing Moroccan-Moorish style, with some considering the Saadian Tombs in Marrakesh as one of the apogees of this style. 
  Starting with the Saadians, and continuing with the Alaouites (their successors and the reigning monarchy today), Moroccan art and architecture is portrayed by modern scholars as having remained essentially "conservative"; meaning that it continued to reproduce the existing style with high fidelity but did not introduce major new innovations. Many of the mosques and palaces standing in Morocco today have been built or restored by the Alaouites at some point or another. Ornate architectural elements from Saadian buildings, most famously from their lavish el-Badi Palace in Marrakesh, were also stripped and reused in buildings elsewhere during the reign of Moulay Isma'il (1672–1727). Moulay Isma'il is also notable for having built a vast imperial capital in Meknes, where the remains of his monumental structures can still be seen today. Up until the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Alaouite sultans and their ministers continued to build beautiful palaces, many of which are now used as museums or tourist attractions, such as the Bahia Palace in Marrakesh or the Dar Batha in Fes.
caption: A carved and painted wooden ceiling in the Bahia Palace (late 19th to early 20th century).
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