Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
A grand building featuring a kaleidoscope of Moroccan culture and design has been unveiled at a popular shopping complex and last weekend attracted an army of art lovers marvelling over its interior.
The creation of Fes 518 has been a 10-year labour of love at The Jawad Dome in Barbar, inspired by an old city located in the North African country.
The venue has been created by Jawad Business Group to act as a beautiful backdrop for exhibitions, receptions and events and just hosted a Pre-Ramadan Pop Up Bazaar, featuring more than 30 fashion and food vendors. The event attracted ambassadors and VIPs alongside hundreds of visitors.
Haseen Chhaya, the group’s marketing manager, said: “We wanted to create something special for shoppers to enjoy that they would not normally find in a mall.
“It will become a unique sight-seeing destination for residents and tourists during special open days but will be primarily used for weddings, ghabgas, bridal showers, engagements, product launches, private dinner banquets, conferences and so on. Our aim is to make this place a venue to host one-of-a-kind events.”
The stunning space is spread over two floors and can accommodate between 150 to 200 seats and according to Haseen, its architecture and design is a reflection of traditional Moroccan structures and culture of the old city of Fes.
The Medina of Fes (city of Fes) is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination and many builders are now restoring traditional houses to be used as second homes. It is also considered the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco, as well as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world.
The oldest walled part of the city, Fes El-Bali, is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it includes a number of religious, civil and military monuments. The architecture used there is characterised by construction techniques and decoration developed over a period of more than 10 centuries.
The Moroccan’s tapestry of influences stem from the Berbers, an ethnic group native to the country, the Muslims, the French and the Spanish Moors. The Berbers developed the first major architectural traditions of the region with the use of mud brick as the dominant material. Known as pisé in French, the solid, imposing look created from this material can be found across Morocco, even if the actual use of mud brick is not as common anymore.
Islamic architecture arrived in Morocco by the 7th Century and is the most visible element to this day. Its style includes intricate geometric patterns, ornate tile or woodwork and decorative calligraphy. Islamic architecture tends to be highly decorative but also consciously laid out.
The courtyard is common in both ancient palaces and everyday homes called riads or dar. Entry ways with Islamic, horseshoe arches welcome people into these spaces.
In the 8th Century, the Moors, an Islamic Berber population in Morocco, conquered most of Spain and Portugal. The Hispano-Moorish elements of Moroccan architecture boast this blending of cultures.
Some Spanish influences include the white, stucco walls and red-tiled roofs that can now be found across most parts of Morocco. In addition, the exposure to Spanish architecture also introduced more European styles of arches into Morocco. The blending of European and Islamic arches can be seen in the keyhole-shaped Moorish arches.
In the early 20th Century, France occupied Morocco, which is why there is a presence of larger, more ornate and functional windows in the architecture.
All of these elements are echoed within the space in Barbar with walls showcasing intricate tiling work called zellige. This form of Islamic art is mosaic tile work made from individually chiseled geometric tiles set into a plaster base.
Haseen said: “The entire interior is hand-carved, painted and hand laid zellige. The architecture of this space and design is a reflection of traditional Moroccan structures, culture and Islamic art. Both the exterior and interior were made and hand-carved by artisans at the site.”
