Moroccan architecture reflects Morocco's diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military conquest. This architectural heritage includes ancient Roman sites, historic Islamic architecture, local vernacular architecture, 20th-century French colonial architecture, and modern architecture.
The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
The ksar of Ait Benhaddou in the southern High Atlas mountains
Colonial architecture in Casablanca (20th century)
Volubilis, founded in the 3rd century BC and abandoned in the 11th century
Moorish architecture is a style within Islamic architecture which developed in the western Islamic world, including al-Andalus and what is now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Scholarly references on Islamic architecture often refer to this architectural tradition in terms such as architecture of the Islamic West or architecture of the Western Islamic lands. The use of the term "Moorish" comes from the historical Western European designation of the Muslim inhabitants of these regions as "Moors". Some references on Islamic art and architecture consider this term to be outdated or contested.
Image: Córdoba (5157827355)
Image: Bab Oudaia 2
Image: Pavillon Cour des Lions Alhambra Granada Spain
Columns and two-tiered arches in the original section of the Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain, founded in 785
