Religious architecture as an instrument for urban renewal: two religious complexes from the Saadian period in Marrakesh

When Saadians consolidated their power in the al-Maghrib al-Aqṣà and established their capital in Marrakesh, the sultan ʿAbdallāh al-Gālib (1557–1574) spearheaded one of the most splendorous periods of the dynasty. He undertook a series of projects to renew the city and equip it with new facilities,...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Almela Legorburu, Íñigo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/212691
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/212691
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Marrakech (Morocco)
Islamic architecture
City planning
Saadians
Marrakech (Marruecos)
16th century
Arquitectura islámica
Urbanismo
S. XVI
Sa`díes
Descripción
Sumario:When Saadians consolidated their power in the al-Maghrib al-Aqṣà and established their capital in Marrakesh, the sultan ʿAbdallāh al-Gālib (1557–1574) spearheaded one of the most splendorous periods of the dynasty. He undertook a series of projects to renew the city and equip it with new facilities, after a century of decline and falling behind other centres. Among the works carried out by this sultan were the reorganization of the city and the construction of infrastructures and monumental buildings that became features in the urban landscape. This paper outlines all of the known works that were part of ʿAbdallāh's project with the aim of highlighting the historical relevance of his reign. It focuses on two religious complexes located in the city that replicate the same architectural model and the same layout in their urban contexts. In both cases, the designs of the complexes and their relationship with their surroundings is studied, allowing the assessment of the impact of their construction on the urban landscape and the development of the city.