I would like to give a brief overview of the architectural style in the Medina of Fez
It is said that of all the Maghreb countries, Morocco has the most to offer in terms of architectural heritage. The buildings in the cities date from the great dynasties of the Merinids or the Saadi. You’ll find typical arcitecural features in the Medinas: glazed tiled roofs, decorated cedar ceilings, windows with wooden grilles, horseshoe arches, walls with mosaic work, all evidence of the mastery of the maalem, the Moroccan craftsmen.
Riad and Dar
The term Riad means ‘enclosed garden’, while the Dar means an ordinary house.
A riad never has multiple floors. In fact, it is a type of mansion in the medina. A Dar has a maximum of two floors, an entrance hall on the ground floor and a terrace.
In a Riad, most housing blocks are divided into four lots or planted with 4 trees around a central fountain. Family life takes place around this courtyard. The different rooms are not necessarily connected to each other. Usually you have to cross the courtyard. The windows are all facing the courtyard, on the street side there are only blank walls. The dusty streets of the Medina don’t portray the splendor of some of the Riads that hide behind those blank walls.
The number of rooms and the grandeur of the house vary according to the wealth of the owner. But especially the interior design makes all the difference. The Zelliges (earthenware tiles with geometric figures), the ornamental stucco and the Tadelakt give the rooms a unique character.
Tadelakt is a lime-based decorative plaster. Tadelakt is applied with a plaster trowel and forms a smooth, shiny and thick wallcovering. The process was first used in the south where it replaced the mosaic tiles in the hamman.
Massriya
A massriya is a small house adjacent to a larger house, eg Dar or Riad. A massriya was built in time by the parents for their eldest child with partner and family. In time, the eldest leaves the Massriya and the second lives in it with his or her partner. This way it keeps moving forward. The Massriya has a separate entrance and electricity meter. This can building can be seen as an apartment on the first floor.