Historic house architecture in Morocco - Quiz
Historic house architecture in Morocco
  • 1. What is the meaning of the term 'Dar al-Makhzen'?
A) Royal Garden of the Sultans
B) House or Abode of the Government
C) Palace of the Warlords
D) City of the Ministers
  • 2. What is a 'mechouar' in the context of a royal palace?
A) A private garden for the Sultan
B) A large walled square for ceremonies or parades
C) A type of bathhouse
D) A decorative window grille
  • 3. Which garden is located on the outskirts of Marrakesh?
A) Agdal Gardens
B) Dar Batha
C) Mosara Garden
D) Bahia Palace
  • 4. What kind of structures were typically included in royal palaces to make them self-sufficient?
A) Bathhouses and mosques
B) Horse stables and military prisons
C) Shopping malls and hospitals
D) Factories and schools
  • 5. Which palace was built by Ba Ahmed in Marrakesh?
A) Dar Batha
B) Bahia Palace
C) Dar Mnebbhi
D) Kasbah of Telouet
  • 6. What modern material is now commonly used for walls and pillars in house renovations?
A) Rammed earth
B) Brick
C) Cement
D) Stone
  • 7. What has replaced traditional wooden mashrabiya-type windows in modern renovations?
A) Glass panels
B) Plastic shutters
C) Aluminum frames
D) Iron grilles
  • 8. What does the term 'riad' traditionally refer to?
A) A royal parade ground
B) A government building
C) An interior garden
D) A palace courtyard
  • 9. According to Mauro Spotorno, what process has the medina of Marrakesh been experiencing?
A) Industrialization
B) Gentrification
C) Ruralization
D) Depopulation
  • 10. Where is the Kasbah of Telouet located?
A) In the outskirts of Tangier
B) Near the coast of Asilah
C) In a rural mountain town
D) In the center of Fes
  • 11. Who is credited with the observation that Marrakesh has become more of a product than a place?
A) Mauro Spotorno
B) Khalid Madhi
C) Nancy Nabeel Aly Demerdash
D) Ba Ahmed
  • 12. Which palace is cited as an example of a palace built by a local magnate in Asilah?
A) Palace of Raissouli
B) Dar Mnebbhi
C) Dar Glaoui
D) Dar Si Said
  • 13. What is the primary critique regarding tourism in Marrakesh according to Khalid Madhi?
A) The destruction of the city walls
B) Heritage commodification and power relations
C) The lack of modern infrastructure
D) The high cost of maintaining gardens
  • 14. Which former garden was located in Fes?
A) Bahia Garden
B) Agdal Garden
C) Mosara Garden
D) Batha Garden
  • 15. What is the layout of a typical Moroccan royal palace?
A) A single massive rectangular building
B) A collection of towers joined by bridges
C) Vertical high-rise architecture
D) Sprawling structures arranged around courtyards and gardens
  • 16. Which material was primarily used for the construction of walls in Salé and Rabat houses?
A) Sun-dried mud brick
B) Marble slabs
C) Reinforced concrete
D) Rubble masonry
  • 17. Where was the stone for building houses in Salé and Rabat sourced?
A) Bou Regreg valley
B) Atlas Mountains
C) Sahara desert quarries
D) Rif mountains
  • 18. What architectural feature was commonly used for the outlines of arches in Salé and Rabat?
A) Painted wood
B) Cut stone
C) Terracotta tiles
D) Cast iron
  • 19. Which motifs were commonly carved into the capitals of columns in Salé and Rabat?
A) Arabesque motifs
B) Calligraphic inscriptions
C) Animal figures
D) Geometric star patterns
  • 20. What is the typical color of both external and internal walls in Salé and Rabat?
A) Whitewashed
B) Blue
C) Ochre
D) Terracotta
  • 21. What design feature is often found at the top of the outer doorway arch in coastal Moroccan houses?
A) Sculpted keystone motif
B) Copper plating
C) Lion head carving
D) Crescent moon emblem
  • 22. According to George Marçais, which architectural tradition influenced the outer doorways of Salé and Rabat?
A) Ottoman Baroque
B) Byzantine
C) Spanish Renaissance
D) Ancient Egyptian
  • 23. Who introduced the Spanish Renaissance influence to the coastal cities of Morocco?
A) Italian merchants
B) French explorers
C) Roman settlers
D) Morisco refugees
  • 24. What is the primary material used for the columns in the galleries of Salé and Rabat?
A) Stone drums
B) Polished metal
C) Stacked ceramic bricks
D) Solid oak logs
  • 25. How does the architecture of Salé and Rabat differ from Marrakesh and Fes regarding ceilings?
A) Ceilings are less decorative
B) Ceilings are tiled
C) Ceilings use expensive cedar
D) Ceilings are much higher
  • 26. What type of leaf is specifically mentioned as an arabesque motif on column capitals?
A) Laurel leaves
B) Acanthus leaves
C) Palm fronds
D) Olive leaves
  • 27. Who divided the architecture of later Moroccan houses into three general categories?
A) Leo Africanus
B) Ibn Battuta
C) Charles de Foucauld
D) George Marçais
  • 28. Which construction material is most commonly used for Fes and Meknes houses?
A) Concrete
B) Stone
C) Brick
D) Marble
  • 29. What material is typically used for the carved ceilings and doors in Fes?
A) Walnut wood
B) Pine wood
C) Oak wood
D) Cedar wood
  • 30. What is used to cover the lower parts of walls and pillars in rich Fes houses?
A) Zellij tiles
B) Stucco carvings
C) Mosaic marble
D) Painted clay
  • 31. What happened to wooden decoration in Marrakesh by the late 19th century?
A) It was limited to painted decoration
B) It was replaced by plastic
C) It was strictly forbidden by law
D) It became more elaborately carved
  • 32. What happened to horseshoe arches in Marrakesh after the 18th century?
A) They became the standard
B) They were prohibited
C) They were rediscovered
D) They became rarer
  • 33. Which of these cities follows the northern Moroccan style of architecture?
A) Rabat
B) Salé
C) Marrakesh
D) Ouazzane
  • 34. How are the upper surfaces of walls in Fes houses finished?
A) Painted bricks
B) Carved stucco
C) Heavy tapestry
D) Raw concrete
  • 35. What is the term for the central courtyard in traditional Moroccan houses?
A) chahar bagh
B) douiria
C) menzeh
D) wast ad-dar
  • 36. Where did the riyad garden concept likely originate?
A) Persian architecture
B) Egyptian architecture
C) Greek architecture
D) Roman architecture
  • 37. How are riyad gardens typically divided?
A) Into a single open space with no partitions.
B) Into four parts by two intersecting straight paths.
C) Into six irregular plots.
D) Into three circular tiers.
  • 38. Which of the following cities has architecture showing more Ottoman influence compared to Morocco?
A) Casablanca
B) Fes
C) Marrakesh
D) Algiers
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