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Dar Moqri (also spelled Dar al-Moqri or Dar Mokri) is a historic palace or group of mansions in
Fes el-Bali Fes el Bali () is the oldest part of Fez, Morocco. It is one of the three main districts of Fez, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created ''Ville Nouvelle (New City'). Together with Fes Jdid, it forms the medina (historic quarter) of Fez, signif ...
, the old
medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
of
Fes Fez () or Fes (; ) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the nort ...
,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
. It dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was built by the wealthy and powerful Moqri family. The site is occupied by two grand residences built separately by members of the same family but physically adjoining each other. The older palace was begun by Abdelsalam al-Moqri and probably further modified by his son
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
. In addition to its rich interior, it is notable for its large terraced garden. The second palace belonged to his grandson Si Tayb and is notable for its long courtyard which mixes
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...
details with traditional Moroccan decoration. A completely separate palace, known as Riad Driss Moqri, was also built further north by Abdelsalam's son, Si Dris.


Historical background

The Moqri family was a wealthy family of merchant origin which rose to prominence within the royal government (or ''
makhzen Makhzen (, , ) is the governing institution in Morocco and in pre-1957 Tunisia, centered on the monarch and consisting of royal notables, top-ranking military personnel, landowners, security service bosses, civil servants and other well-connected ...
''). They originated from
Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran and is the capital of Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the port of Rachgoun. It had a population of ...
,
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
, and immigrated to Morocco at the beginning of the 19th century under their patriarch Abu Abdallah Muhammad al-Akhal, settling in Fez in 1805. He had three sons who each led a major branch of the family afterwards. One of them, Haj Abdesalam al-Moqri, rose to prominent positions under Sultan Moulay Hassan. He first worked as an ''amin'' (magistrate or secretary) working at the Funduq el-Jild under the direction of the secretary of the treasury at the time, Haj Bel-Madani Bennis. It was around this time that he started building his palace, Dar Moqri. Historical documents of the house's floor plan indicate that it existed or was being built in 1880. He later became the secretary of finance (''amin al-mustafad'') in Dar Adiyil (the state treasury at the time) and then the secretary of royal constructions (''amin bina' malaki''). As secretary of royal constructions, he was charged by Moulay Hassan to oversee the construction of the
Dar al-Makina The Dar al-Makina () is a former arms factory in Fes, Morocco. History The Dar al-Makina (an Arabic adaptation of the word "machine") was established by Sultan Moulay Hassan in 1885–86 with the help of Italian officers. The northern gate of t ...
and of the Dar Batha and Dar al-Baida Palaces. He was also charged in 1889 with resolving issues with the water supply of the
Oued Fes The Oued Fes () or Fez River is a river in Morocco. It is a tributary of the Sebou River and historically the main source of water for Morocco's second largest city, Fes, after which it is named. The river consists of a number of different stre ...
. These responsibilities gave him considerable prestige and importance which afforded him the ability to build a great mansion for himself. The size and richness of the residence reflects his family's wealth at the time."Palais Abdeslam Moqri" (information sign posted outside the building). Regional Council of Tourism - Fez. An inscription in the house records the date 1901-02, which probably indicates a major renovation at this time. Abdelsalam died at the age of 75 in 1905, leaving three sons: Hajj Muhammad, Si Dris, and Si Ahmad. Muhammad al-Mokri assisted and then replaced his father as secretary of royal constructions before becoming secretary in charge of the markets and trades (''amin al-shukara''). In 1905 he rose to the position of
grand vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...
under Sultan Abdelaziz. Around this time, the Glaoui and Moqri families became the two most important families in Morocco (aside from the royal family), dividing most of the important government positions between them. During this period, only the highest-ranking head of the Moqri family resided in the main palace of Dar Moqri. Muhammad al-Moqri eventually became one of the most important figures in modern Moroccan history. He was grand vizier under Sultan Abd al-Hafid when the French Protectorate was imposed on Morocco in 1912 and he kept this post under Abd al-Hafid's formal successors throughout the 44-year period of French colonial rule, until right after Moroccan independence in 1956. He died in 1957, at the age of 105. During his tenure, one of his sons, known as Si Tayb, served as delegate of the minister of finances. It was he who built a second mansion adjoining the main family palace to the southeast, with a long courtyard and Italianate details. His brother, Si Dris, served as ''
muhtasib A muḥtasib (, from the root ''ḥisbah'', or "accountability"Sami Zubaida (2005), Law and Power in the Islamic World, , pages 58-60) was "a holder of the office of al-hisbah in classical Islamic administrations", according to Oxford Islamic St ...
'' of Fez. He owned a library and built his own luxurious mansion, also known as the "Riad Driss Moqri", located separately in the Oued Sawwafin neighbourhood (also spelled Oued Swafin or Oued Souafine) further north. The exact chronology of the construction of the main Dar Moqri palace is difficult to establish, but it may have been completed in its present form in the early 20th century by Muhammad al-Moqri.


Location

Dar Moqri is located in the district which was historically known as ''al-'Uyun'' ("the Sources") and is known today as the Ziat or Ziyat neighbourhood. Until the 19th century this area had been a garden district with few houses and plenty of open space to build, thus attracting the construction of several new mansions by wealthy families. Abdelsalam al-Mokri's patron, Bel-Madani Bennis, had already built a palace (no longer preserved) in this neighbourhood when Abdelsalam started construction on his own mansion. The
Glaoui Thami El Glaoui (; 1879–23 January 1956) was the Pasha of Marrakesh from 1912 to 1956. His family name was el Mezouari, from a title given an ancestor by Ismail Ibn Sharif in 1700, while El Glaoui refers to his chieftainship of the Glaoua (Glaw ...
family and the al-Tazi family also built their palatial mansions (
Dar Glaoui Dar Glaoui or Glaoui Palace (; sometimes called by its French language, French name, ''Palais Glaoui'') is a late 19th-century and early 20th-century palace in Fez, Morocco, Fez, Morocco. It was owned by the Glaoui family, whose most famous membe ...
and Dar Tazi) in the same district nearby. These two mansions still exist today.


Architecture

The palace is considered one of the finest examples of late 19th and early 20th century domestic architecture in Fes. It covers two-and-a-half
acres The acre ( ) is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, ...
or one
hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...
. Its layout and form are somewhat atypical of other Moroccan mansions of the era, especially compared to the more classical architecture of its nearby contemporaries like the Dar Glaoui and Dar al-Tazi. It is organized around two sections – the main house and the garden area – with two different axes, instead of one main axis with symmetrical structures on either side. The large garden to the north is divided into three terraces with views over the city. The lowest terrace of this garden is larger than the others and is divided into four parts by two intersecting paths and a central fountain, much like a traditional ''riad'' garden. The gardens are planted tall cypress trees alongside various other trees and plants. Several small structures and kiosks are built around the edges of the gardens. One of them was originally a music pavilion while another used to be a
hammam A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited from the model ...
(bathhouse), but both have been repurposed today. The main residential complex to the south consists of two main courtyards or
patios A patio (, ; ) is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia, the term is expanded to include roofed structures such as a veranda, which provides protection from sun an ...
each surrounded by an array of rooms across two stories. There are at least fifty rooms in all, including guest rooms, along with private hammams, kitchens, stables, and storage areas. Of the two main courtyards, the one to the north is smaller and rectangular while the one to the south is larger and has an irregular quadrilateral shape. The northern courtyard and its adjacent sections are probably older than the southern section and would thus correspond with the house originally built by Abdelsalam al-Moqri in the late 19th century. The southern courtyard was more likely built later in the first half of the 20th century. The northern courtyard has a central fountain with a water basin shaped like an eight-pointed star. Unlike other traditional Moroccan house courtyards, there are no galleries on any side. An imposing wooden canopy, richly sculpted with geometric patterns and ''
muqarnas Muqarnas (), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of I ...
'' friezes, projects inward from the upper part of all four walls to form a large skylight. In the northwest wall of the courtyard is a large alcove (similar to an ''iwan'') containing a large wall fountain covered with rich ''
zellij Zellij (), also spelled zillij or zellige, is a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces. The pieces were typically of different colours and fitted together to form various patterns on the basis of tessellations, ...
'' (mosaic tilework) in radiating star patterns. The fountain is sheltered under a ''muqarnas'' ceiling. Large double doors occupy the center of the other three sides of the courtyard and grant access to large decorated chambers. Other smaller doorways in the corners of the courtyard grant access to the different wings of the house. The northeast wing is occupied by a large chamber opening from the two-story ''masriya'' or reception room for guests, while on a floor above this is a hall covered by a grand wooden dome which was probably added at a later period after the construction of the original palace. Today the ''masriya'' is independent from the rest of the palace and is entered through a different street. The northwest wing is occupied by an entrance passage, stairway, and a large kitchen on the ground floor, while on the upper floor is a great hall covered by a small but ornate wooden dome, with more chambers around it. This upper floor area may have served as a guesthouse (''dar ḍiyaf''). The southwest wing is situated on the upper floor and constitutes the former hammam of the palace, today repurposed as a separate apartment. The southeast wing consists of several rooms on both the ground floor and upper floor. The upper floor includes a rectangular hall that is richly decorated and covered by a grand wooden ceiling of the ''berchla'' (or ''bershla'') type. This wing grants access to the large southern courtyard. This courtyard is in turn is flanked by its more rooms and structures, but their architecture is less notable than the northern parts of the palace. The mansion of Si Tayb al-Moqri is separate from the older Moqri palace but directly adjoins it to the southeast. It is centered around a long rectangular patio surrounded by a two-story gallery on three sides and single-story
arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...
on one side. It is decorated with
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
and
faience Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white Ceramic glaze, pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an stannous oxide, oxide of tin to the Slip (c ...
tiles, star-shaped water basins, white marble fountains, ''zellij'' tilework, carved stucco, and sculpted wood ceilings. The house was reportedly designed by an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
architect and as a result there are also traces of European influence, including classic Italian motifs appearing in the carved
capitals Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
of the columns around the courtyard.


References


External links


Photo of the central (northern) courtyard of the Abdelsalam al-Moqri palace on Flickr

Photo of the courtyard of the Si Tayb al-Moqri palace on Flickr
(more photos follow)
Photo of the garden patio of the Riad Driss Moqri
{{Fes Palaces in Fez, Morocco