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Heri Es-Swani
The Heri es-Swani or Heri es-Souani (), sometimes also transliterated as Hury as-Swani or Hri Swani, is a historic monument in Meknes, Morocco. It was a massive structure that served as a granary or silo for the Imperial Kasbah built by Moulay Isma'il during his reign from 1672 to 1727. It was part of a larger compound of facilities which also included the attached House of the Ten Norias, which provided water for the palaces, and a large water basin nearby known as the Sahrij Swani or Agdal Basin. The name "Heri es-Swani" often applies to both the House of the Ten Norias and the silos, which are connected to each other and visited as a single attraction by tourists today. In popular usage the silos are often misidentified as the "Royal Stables", but those stables were in fact a different structure that existed further south. Historical background Moulay Isma'il became sultan upon the death of his brother Moulay Rashid in 1672. Breaking with tradition, he chose to make Mekn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Granary
A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals and from floods. Early origins From ancient times grain has been stored in bulk. The oldest granaries yet found date back to 9500 BC and are located in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A settlements in the Jordan Valley. The first were located in places between other buildings. However beginning around 8500 BC, they were moved inside houses, and by 7500 BC storage occurred in special rooms. The first granaries measured 3 x 3 m on the outside and had suspended floors that protected the grain from rodents and insects and provided air circulation. These granaries are followed by those in Mehrgarh in the Indus Valley from 6000 BC. The ancient Egyptians made a practice of preserving grain in years of plenty against years of scarcity. The clima ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta is the term normally used for sculpture made in earthenware and also for various practical uses, including bowl (vessel), vessels (notably flower pots), water and waste water pipes, tile, roofing tiles, bricks, and surface embellishment in building construction. The term is also used to refer to the natural Terra cotta (color), brownish orange color of most terracotta. In archaeology and art history, "terracotta" is often used to describe objects such as figurines not made on a potter's wheel. Vessels and other objects that are or might be made on a wheel from the same material are called earthenware pottery; the choice of term depends on the type of object rather than the material or firing technique. Unglazed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marrakesh
Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh-Safi region. The city is situated west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Marrakesh is southwest of Tangier, southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, south of Casablanca, and northeast of Agadir. The region has been inhabited by Berber farmers since Neolithic times. The city was founded in 1070 by Emir Abu Bakr ibn Umar as the imperial capital of the Almoravid Empire. The Almoravids established the first major structures in the city and shaped its layout for centuries to come. The red walls of the city, built by Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122–1123, and various buildings constructed in red sandstone afterwards, have given the city the nickname of the "Red City" ( ''Almadinat alhamra) or "Ochre City" (). Marrakesh grew rapidly an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Menara Gardens
The Menara Gardens ( ar, حدائق المنارة) are a historic public garden and orchard in Marrakech, Morocco. They were established in the 12th century (circa 1157) by the Almohad Caliphate ruler Abd al-Mu'min. Along with the Agdal Gardens and the historic walled city of Marrakesh, the gardens have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The gardens are laid out around a central water basin and reservoir, next to which is a pleasure pavilion dating in its current form from the 19th century. The reservoir and its pavilion, often framed in pictures against the background of the High Atlas Mountains to the south, are considered one of the iconic views and symbols of Marrakesh. Etymology The origin of the name ''Menara'' for the gardens is not firmly established. The name's first appearance (as ''Sahrij al-Manāra'') in historical sources is in 1579, during the Saadian period. The Arabic word ''menara'' (منارَة) variously means "minaret", "lighthouse", ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meknes Sahrij IMG 1483
Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became the capital of Morocco under the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismaïl (1672–1727), son of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty. Moulay Ismaïl created a massive imperial palace complex and endowed the city with extensive fortifications and monumental gates. The city recorded a population of 632,079 in the 2014 Moroccan census. It is the seat of Meknès Prefecture and an important economic pole in the region of Fès-Meknès. Etymology Meknes is named after a Berber tribe which, was known as ''Miknasa'' (native Berber name: Imeknasen) in the medieval North African documents. History Early history (8th–16th centuries) Volubilis, a major Roman-era settlement in Morocco and one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mule
The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two possible first-generation hybrids between them, the mule is easier to obtain and more common than the hinny, which is the offspring of a female donkey (a jenny) and a male horse (a stallion). Mules vary widely in size, and may be of any color. They are more patient, hardier and longer-lived than horses, and are perceived as less obstinate and more intelligent than donkeys. Terminology A female mule that has oestrus cycles, and which could thus in theory carry a foetus, is called a "molly" or "Molly mule", though the term is sometimes used to refer to female mules in general. A male mule is properly called a "horse mule", though often called a "john mule", which is the correct term for a gelded mule. A young male mule is called a "mule co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noria
A noria ( ar, ناعورة, ''nā‘ūra'', plural ''nawāʿīr'', from syr, ܢܥܘܪܐ, ''nā‘orā'', lit. "growler") is a hydropowered ''scoop wheel'' used to lift water into a small aqueduct (water supply), aqueduct, either for the purpose of irrigation or to supply water to cities and villages. Name and meaning Etymology The word ''noria'' is derived from Arabic ''nā‘ūra'' (ناعورة), which comes from the Arabic verb meaning to "groan" or "grunt", in reference to the sound it made when turning. ''Noria'' versus ''saqiyah'' The term ''noria'' is commonly used for devices which use the power of moving water to turn the wheel. For devices powered by animals, the usual term is ''saqiyah'' or ''saqiya''. Other types of similar devices are grouped under the name of chain pumps. However, the names of traditional water-raising devices used in the Middle East, India, Spain and other areas are often used loosely and overlappingly, or vary depending on region. Ismail a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vault (architecture)
In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while rings of voussoirs are constructed and the rings placed in position. Until the topmost voussoir, the keystone, is positioned, the vault is not self-supporting. Where timber is easily obtained, this temporary support is provided by centering consisting of a framed truss with a semicircular or segmental head, which supports the voussoirs until the ring of the whole arch is completed. Vault types Corbelled vaults, also called false vaults, with horizontally joined layers of stone have been documented since prehistoric times; in the 14th century BC from Mycenae. They were built regionally until modern times. The real vault construction with radially joined stones was already known to the Egyptians and Assyrians and was introduced into the buil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mausoleum Of Moulay Ismail
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. History Context: Moulay Isma'il's reign Moulay Isma'il became sultan upon the death of his brother Moulay Rashid in 1672. Breaking with tradition, he chose to make Meknes as his capital. Here, he built a monumental imperial palace-city (kasbah) on the southwest side of the old city (the ''medina''). It consisted of several distinct palace complexes and other facilities spread across a vast area enclosed by fortified walls. As sultan, Isma'il's 55-year reign was one of longest in Moroccan history. He distinguished himself as a ruler who wished to establish a unified Moroccan state as the absolute authority in the land, independent of any particular group within Morocco – in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1755 Meknes Earthquake
The 1755 Meknes earthquake affected Morocco on 27 November 1755. The earthquake had a moment magnitude () estimated at between 6.5 and 7.0. It devastated the cities of Fes and Meknes—killing at least 15,000 people in both cities. Tectonic setting The western Eurasian–Africa plate boundary is dominated by the Gloria Fault System which lies between the Azores Triple Junction and Gibraltar Arc. The plate boundary around the Gibraltar Arc and Alboran Sea area is less defined and chacterized by a broad zone of seismicity. The African and Eurasian plates converge in a N–S to NNW–SSE direction. The convergence is related to uplift and thrust tectonics along the Rif mountains. Earthquake The shock came just days after another earthquake affected Lisbon (1 November)—it was mistakenly identified as an aftershock of that event, and misdated to 18 November. Arab sources attribute the earthquake to 27 November and mezoseismal area to Fes and Meknes. A seismic rupture was also re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Guard
The Black Guard or ''‘Abid al-Bukhari'' ( ar, عبيد البخاري, lit=Slaves of al-Būkhārī; also known as ''‘Abīd al-Dīwān'' "slaves of the diwan", ''Jaysh al-‘Abīd'' "the slave army", and ''‘Abid al-Sultan'' "the sultan’s slaves") were the corps of black-African slaves and ''Haratin'' slave-soldiers assembled by the 'Alawi sultan of Morocco, Isma‘il ibn Sharif (reigned 1672–1727). They were called the "Slaves of Bukhari" because Sultan Isma‘il emphasized the importance of the teachings of the famous imam Muhammad al-Bukhari, going so far as to give the leaders of the army copies of his book. This military corps, which was loyal only to the sultan, was one of the pillars of Isma'il's power as he sought to establish a more stable and more absolute authority over Morocco. After Isma'il's death, the Black Guard became one of the most powerful factions in Moroccan politics and played the role of kingmakers during the period of turmoil that followed. O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phreatic Zone
The phreatic zone, saturated zone, or zone of saturation, is the part of an aquifer, below the water table, in which relatively all pores and fractures are saturated with water. Above the water table is the unsaturated or vadose zone. The phreatic zone size, color, and depth may fluctuate with changes of season, and during wet and dry periods. Depending on the characteristics of soil particles, their packing and porosity, the boundary of a saturated zone can be stable or instable, exhibiting fingering patterns known as Saffman–Taylor instability The Saffman–Taylor instability, also known as viscous fingering, is the formation of patterns in a morphologically unstable interface between fluids, interface between two fluids in a porous medium, described mathematically by Philip Saffman and .... Predicting the onset of stable vs. unstable drainage fronts is of some importance in modelling phreatic zone boundaries. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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