Technical Diagrams — Architecture of Morocco

Structural Systems

Horseshoe arch geometric construction — Moroccan type — Fig. 1 — Horseshoe arch geometry (Moroccan type). Arc extends ⅓ radius below spring line. Distinct from Visigothic and pointed Almohad variants.

Pisé rammed earth wall construction section with specifications — Fig. 2 — Pisé (rammed earth) wall section. 500–600mm thick, lime-rendered. Compressive strength 1.0–2.5 MPa. Typical of Haouz plain and southern Morocco.

Plan Typologies

Riad plan typology — inward-facing courtyard with four garden beds — Fig. 3 — Riad plan typology. Inward-facing courtyard with four planted beds (riyāḍ = gardens), cruciform water channels, and chicane entry (skifa). Fes/Marrakech type.

Kasbah anatomy — elevation and plan of fortified pisé compound — Fig. 4 — Kasbah anatomy. Fortified pisé compound with corner towers (12–18m), defensive curtain wall, and vertical programme: stables/storage (ground), living (first), granary (upper).

Cross-Sections

Riad cross-section through courtyard showing structural layers — Fig. 5 — Riad cross-section through courtyard. Two-storey compound showing ground floor bayt (reception), upper ghorfa, gallery arcade, three-register wall decoration, cedar beam ceilings, and thermal mass strategy. 500mm pisé walls with lime render, no exterior windows.

Kasbah cross-section through corner tower — Fig. 6 — Kasbah section through corner tower. Vertical programme: stables (ground), living (first), granary (upper), lookout (top). Battered base, arrow slits, geometric frieze, stepped merlons. Tower: 12–18m, curtain wall: 6–10m.

Decorative Systems

Fig. 7 — Khatam (8-point star) construction. Compass-and-straightedge method from 8 equal circle divisions. Same technique documented in the 15th-century Topkapı Scroll.

Three-register wall hierarchy — zellige, stucco, cedar — Fig. 8 — Interior wall section: three-register hierarchy. Zellige (earth), carved stucco/gebs (garden), painted cedar (heaven). Marinid/Saadian programme.

Comparative Studies

Almohad minaret comparative proportions — Koutoubia, Giralda, Hassan Tower — Fig. 9 — Three Almohad minarets from one template. Square plan, 1:5 width-to-height ratio, internal ramp. Koutoubia (69m), Giralda (~70m original), Hassan Tower (44m, unfinished/86m intended).

Water & Infrastructure

Khettara underground irrigation system — longitudinal section and tunnel cross-section — Fig. 10 — Khettara (qanat) irrigation system. Gravity-fed underground gallery connecting water table to settlement. 1–15km total length, gradient 1:1000 to 1:1500. Marrakech Haouz had ~600 systems at peak (18th c.), ~25 remain active.

Vernacular Architecture

Amazigh Berber tent structural analysis — elevation, plan, materials — Fig. 11 — Amazigh tent (khaima). Goat-hair flij covering over forked-pole frame. Gender-divided interior with woven asaber curtain. Covering swells when wet (waterproof), shrinks when dry (ventilation). Regional variants across Middle Atlas, Sahara, and Anti-Atlas.