Dar Cherifa, historically known as Dar Ijimi, is a late 16th-century house in the medina (old city) of Marrakesh, Morocco. It is located in the Mouassine neighbourhood and is one of the few well-preserved houses from the Saadian period in the city. In recent years it has been restored and is now used as a café and art gallery.
The house has been dated to the Saadian period in the second half of the 16th century, possibly to the reign of Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib, thanks to its style and to the similarity of its decoration with that of contemporary monuments like the Ben Youssef Madrasa. [1] This would also coincide with al-Ghalib's major construction projects in the Mouassine neighbourhood, which saw the old Jewish quarter displaced (moved to the new Mellah) and a new organized Islamic neighbourhood created around the new Mouassine Mosque. [1] [2]
Because of the house's rich decoration, it is assumed to have been built by an aristocratic or wealthy family. [1] It is one of only a handful of historic houses in the city that date from this period – along with the Dar al-Masluhiyyin and the ruined Dar al-Mas'udiyyin – which in turn makes it among the oldest houses of its kind in Marrakesh. [2] [3] [4] The house was known until recently as Dar Ijimi, after the family that lived there. [1] [2] : 64 It was purchased and restored in 2000 by Abdellatif Aït Ben Abdallah and since then opened as a café and cultural venue. [1] [5] [6]
The house is located in a small derb (alley) called Derb Chorfa Lakbir, a short distance west of the Mouassine Mosque. [1] [2] : 64 The design of the house continued the traditional forms of earlier Marinid-period houses in Morocco. It has a tall ground floor and a shorter upper floor, both arranged around a deep central patio or courtyard. Twelve pillars are arranged in clusters of three at each corner of the courtyard, forming a shallow gallery around it. The short spaces between the pillars of a same cluster are covered by small round arches surmounted by vertical zones of carved stucco decoration. The much wider openings between the pillar clusters are bridged by corbelled arch es consisting of carved cedar-wood lintels. On two of the courtyard's sides facing each other, the corbelled arches are situated high above the courtyard and allow an uninterrupted view of the tall and ornate doorways leading to rooms around the courtyard. These doorways consist of lambrequin arches with muqarnas -sculpted intrados. On the other two sides of the courtyard the corbelled arches are lower and are surmounted by a wide zone of stucco decoration pierced with an arched window from the upper-floor rooms. [1]
The tall doorways off the courtyard are highlighted with further stucco decoration above the arch, including three false windows carved with geometric patterns, set within several rectangular frames filled with other arabesque or Kufic motifs. The zones of stucco decoration on the façades of the courtyard gallery feature sebka motifs filled with arabesques, in a style very similar to the stucco decoration of the Ben Youssef Madrasa built under Abdallah al-Ghalib. Arabic inscriptions with religious connotations are found carved on the wooden lintels and some of the stucco elements. [1]
The Ben Youssef Madrasa is an Islamic madrasa (college) in Marrakesh, Morocco. Functioning today as a historical site, the Ben Youssef Madrasa was the largest Islamic college in the Maghreb at its height. The madrasa is named after the adjacent Ben Youssef Mosque built by the Almoravid Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf in the early 12th century, and was commissioned by the Saadian Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib in the 16th century.
The Saadian Tombs are a historic royal necropolis in Marrakesh, Morocco, located on the south side of the Kasbah Mosque, inside the royal kasbah (citadel) district of the city. They date to the time of the Saadian dynasty and in particular to the reign of Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603), though members of Morocco's monarchy continued to be buried here for a time afterwards. The complex is regarded by many art historians as the high point of Moroccan architecture in the Saadian period due to its luxurious decoration and careful interior design. Today the site is a major tourist attraction in Marrakesh.
Abdallah al-Ghalib Billah was the second Saadian sultan of Morocco. He succeeded his father Mohammed al-Shaykh as Sultan of Morocco.
The Shrob ou Shouf Fountain or Chrob ou Chouf Fountain is a historic wall fountain in the medina of Marrakech, Morocco. It dates from the late 16th or early 17th century and is located near the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
This article describes notable landmarks and architecture in the city of Marrakesh, Morocco.
The Ben Youssef Mosque, is a mosque in the Medina quarter of Marrakesh, Morocco, named after the Almoravid emir Ali ibn Yusuf. It is arguably the oldest and most important mosque in Marrakesh.
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The Kasbah Mosque is a historic mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. It was originally built by the Almohad ruler Yaqub al-Mansur in 1185-1190 CE. It is located in the Kasbah district, the city's former citadel, near the site of its historic royal palaces. Along with the Kutubiyya Mosque, it is one of the most important historic mosques in Marrakesh.
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The Mouassine Mosque or al-Muwassin Mosque is a major neighbourhood mosque in Marrakech, Morocco, dating from the 16th century during the Saadian dynasty. It shares its name with the Mouassine neighbourhood.
The Zawiya of Sidi Abd el-Aziz is an Islamic religious complex (zawiya) in Marrakesh, Morocco. It is centered around the tomb of the Muslim scholar and Sufi saint Sidi Abu Faris Abd al-Aziz Abd al-Haq at-Tabba', who died in Marrakesh in 1508. Sidi Abd el-Aziz is considered one of the Seven Saints of Marrakesh, and his tomb was a prominent stop for pilgrims to Marrakesh. The zawiya is located on Rue Mouassine at its intersection with Rue Amesfah.
The Zawiya of Sidi Muhammad Ben Sliman al-Jazuli is an Islamic religious complex (zawiya) in Marrakesh, Morocco. It is centered around the tomb of the 15th-century Muslim scholar and Sufi saint Muhammad al-Jazuli, who is one of the Seven Saints of Marrakesh.
The Kasbah of Marrakesh is a large walled district in the southern part of the medina of Marrakesh, Morocco, which historically served as the citadel (kasbah) and royal palace complex of the city. A large part of the district is still occupied by the official royal palace, the Dar al-Makhzen, which serves as the residence of the King of Morocco when he visits the city. The rest of the district consists of various neighbourhoods and monuments. It was founded by the Almohads in the late 12th century, with most of the construction carried out by Caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur. Two of its most important surviving structures today, the Kasbah Mosque and the main gate of Bab Agnaou, date from al-Mansur's reign.
The Zawiya of Sidi Bel Abbes or Zaouia of Sidi Bel-Abbès is an Islamic religious complex (zawiya) in Marrakesh, Morocco. The complex is centered around the mausoleum of Abu al-Abbas as-Sabti, a Sufi teacher who died in 1204. He is the most venerated of the Seven Saints of Marrakesh, generally considered the "patron saint" of the city. The zawiya's architecture dates in part to the late Saadian period but has been modified and restored multiple times since then.
Sidi Yusuf ibn 'Ali as-Sanhaji is a wali who was born in Marrakesh, Morocco and died there in 1196 CE. He is considered one of the Seven Saints of Marrakesh, and one of the administrative divisions of Marrakesh is named after him.
The Mouassine Museum is a museum in the Mouassine neighbourhood of the historic medina of Marrakesh, Morocco. The museum is housed in a recently restored 16th to 17th-century house which includes an upper-floor apartment known as a douiria. It was recently converted to a Museum of Music, with permanent and temporary exhibits.
The Mausoleum of Moulay Isma'il is a historic Islamic funerary complex in Meknes, Morocco. It contains the tomb of Sultan Moulay Isma'il, who ruled Morocco from 1672 until his death in 1727, and is located inside his former Kasbah (citadel). It is a major historic and religious site in the city.
Abdallah al-Ghalib II was a member of the Saadian dynasty who ruled parts of Morocco during the succession conflicts within the dynasty between 1603 and 1627. He was the son of Muhammad al-Sheikh al-Ma'mun, who was in turn the son of the powerful sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. He ruled in Marrakesh from 1606 to 1609 and ruled in Fes from 1609 to 1613.
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Traditional houses in Morocco are usually centered around a large internal courtyard, the wast ad-dar, and are characterized by a focus on interior decoration rather than on external appearance. The houses of wealthy residents featured decoration typical of Moroccan architecture and medieval Moorish architecture, including carved and painted wood, carved stucco, and zellij. The center of larger houses could also be occupied by a riad garden, particularly in places like Marrakesh where more space was available.
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