Asilah city "Historical Town from Islamic Word"

ASILAH CITY Historical town from the Islamic world.

MUNA FAHED ABOU FAYAD 201310898 DALAL A.M ALHOURANI 201210747 ASALA ABDULHADI 201211436

INDEX • Introduction • Asilah through times • Location • Location of ASILAH today with its immediate surroundings • Asilah characteristics • Asilah limits • Climate • Urban growth • identification of the main buildings that generated its evolution • The network leading to the medina • The hierarchy of the distribution and the open spaces • Representative buildings of Asilah • Typologies through forms and spatial organization of buildings • Typologies through materials of buildings • Building pathology in Asilah • Historic Monuments and Buildings Rehabilitation • International arts festival in Asilah • Conclusion • References

INTRODUCTION •Asilah is an ancient coastal town founded in Phoenician times. Its defensive walls were

built in the medieval period when it was a Portuguese trading post. Today it is a harbour, a market, a center for cultural events and a summer resort. Protection of Asilah's architectural heritage began in 2009 with the efforts of the two founding patrons of the cultural association, and other interested intellectuals. The works they have restored and rehabilitated include the Portuguese fortifications and an early 20th-century palace. They relocated commercial facilities to the foot of the fortifications and introduced decorative pavings and murals by local artists. The jury notes that "from a modest start but with ambitious vision, a few native sons of Asilah took it upon themselves to upgrade the physical and cultural environment of their town. With perseverance and skill, they managed to raise the consciousness and mobilize the people of Asilah to implement this vision.

Asilah through the time

• 1471 – Conquered the city and their influence is noticeable in some

of the house's facades because the Phoenicians used it as a base for trade.

• 1549 – John III later decided to abandon it because of an economic crisis.

• 1692 – The town was taken by the Moroccans under the leadership of Moulay Ismail.

• 1829 – The Austrians punitively bombarded Asilah due to Moroccan piracy.

• 19th and 20th centuries – Asilah served then as a base for pirates.

• 1912-1956 – Asilah was part of Spanish Morocco.

• 1978 – Major plan to restore the town was undertaken.

• 1980 - UNESCO acknowledged the cultural significance of several old towns in Morocco by including them in the UNESCO world heritage list1 http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.2.EL%20HARROUNI%20Khalid%20=%20Urban%20Rehabilitation%20of%20Historic%20Areas,%20The%20Asilah %20Medina.pdf

LOCATION

LOCATION: Asilah, South Tangier ,Tangier- Tetouan Region, Morocco.

Asilah city Size

: 235 ha

• Asilah is located 42 km southeast of the

town of Tangier on the Atlantic coast. The town is completely surrounded by Portuguese defensive walls that were erected in the 15th century. There are extensive beaches and a natural harbor on the northwest side of the town.

Farmlands surround the town and there are no factories in the immediate area. To the north of Asilah lie beach resorts and to the southeast lie squatter settlements called mixikIts • population is of approximately 30 000 inhabitants that live fundamentally of fishing, agriculture and tourism which is rapidly becoming an important source of income. http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.1.wocmes_3.Khalid%20EL%20HARROUANI.pdf

Asilah medina

Size

: 9 ha

Location of ASILAH today with its immediate surroundings

Google earth

Asilah characteristics

• A little geographical area of 9 ha characterized by

its remarkable centrality, its homogeneous aspect and its originality compared to others medinas.

• Its principal urban components are: the fortifications of Islamic and Portuguese origin (walls, bastions and doors), the districts, places, streets and residential and religious buildings with a historical and architectural interest.

• Its Kasba, rectangular citadel dating from the Portuguese period. Currently, it is an open space little built containing some dwellings and sociocultural equipments. http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.2.EL%20HARROUNI%20Khalid%20=%20Urban%20Rehabilitation%20of%20Historic%20Areas,%20The%20Asilah %20Medina.pdf

ASILAH LIMITS • The ramparts of Asilah were built by

the Portuguese in the late 15th and early 16th century, designed by the military architect Botacca. The incredible level of preservation is partly the result of modern restoration. • Private houses have at many points been built right up the walls, making access difficult at points. Two prongs point out to the ocean, but only the southern one is open to the public.

Portuguese defensive walls

natural harbor on the northwest side of the town

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Farmlands surround the town

CLIMATE

• The northern Atlantic

coastal area falls into the Mediterranean climate zone bringing mild wet winters and dry warm summers.

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URBAN GROWTH 1.

2.

3.

4.

most representative buildings and most of the constructions inside the medina area, ran the risk of collapse during the seventies, The streets were not paved.

The rehabilitation project of Asilah by Al-Mouhit Cultural Association started in 1978. Historical sites such as the Portuguese fortifications, the Al-Kamra Tower and the Raissouni Palace, have all been restored and several public spaces have been re-arranged for commercial activities. The town was gradually being provided with basic infrastructures: the streets were paved, the old houses renovated; always following their craft patterns.

But today, the most serious problems include the deteriorating residential zones, the degradation of the historical built environment (ramparts, walls, bastions and gates), the problem of the traffic and parking in the surrounding urban fabric, and the sea water pollution due to the discharge of the urban sewages and domestic waters without any preliminary treatment In front of this situation, a safeguard master plan of the medina is establishing.

The Master Plan and Safeguard study area

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identification of the main buildings that generated its evolution Al Kamra Tower The Abdellah Guennoun place

• Photo from the

beginning of the 20th Century Al Kamra Tower

The Raissouni Palace

• Before restoration

Restored by Gulbenkian Foundation, Al Mouhit Cultural Association and Asilah Municipality

The Hassan II International Meeting Centre

http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.1.wocmes_3.Khalid%20EL%20HARROUANI.pdf

The fortification (walls and bastions)

 The network leading to the medina Streetscapes in the medina of Asilah

Roadway Plazas Narrow streets Cul-de-sac

• The medina of Asilah counts 5 districts. Its principal streets

are those which connect gates/doors to gates/doors.

The other streets are organized according to the northeastern and south-western orientation, while crossing the medina in its length and its width and serve the residential districts and the commercial streets. http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.1.wocmes_3.Khalid%20EL%20HARROUANI.pdf

 The network leading to the medina Movement through The ancient city path Names of plazas and streets

Movement from the ramparts path

1) The path of the ancient city, and its results from the Kasba gate towards Al-Kamra tower and the Raisouni palace then Lakrikia tower situated in the southwest side of the walls. The tourist tour allows to visit the historical monuments inside the ramparts. • 2) The Ramparts path which results from Lakrikia tower, from the external side, heading towards Lalla Rahma tower.

Thereafter it passes through Al Houmar gate then the Kasba gate and finally the sea gate. That the external defence walls and the field surrounding the medina will have been visited including the trench and the shrines. •

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The hierarchy of the distribution and the open spaces • Mass and voids of Asilah

2

1 3

1. Abdellah Guennoun plaza

• 1. Abdellah Guennoun plaza • 2. Ben Khaldoun plaza • 3. sidi ibn eisa plaza • Improvement of the Medina Environment and Tourism Development 1. The re-arrangement of the green areas and the graves surrounding the medina.

2. The reorganisation of some places by creating some guest houses and small hotels in the Abdellah

Guennoun place and Ben Khaldoun place.

3. The rearrangement of the medina cornice and the trenches http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.1.wocmes_3.Khalid%20EL%20HARROUANI.pdf

 Representative buildings of Asilah 2 1. Sidi Ahmed Mansour tomb

1

2. Al Kamra Tower

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3. Hammam of Al- Medina

3

2

1.The Hassan II International Meeting Centre •

An exhibition space.

It’s in a beautiful medina house and displays a revolving exhibition of international painting and sculpture in its gallery.

2. The Raissouni Palace

• •

Raissouni Palace is a towering symbol for the area’s renaissance. and it is a magnet for all things artistic, creative and historical

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1 3

3. Dar Manara

• •

Located on the northern coast of Morocco , the Dar Manara is in the heart of the Medina. It offers rooms with en-suite facilities It was inspired by the Arab Andalusian architecture, all materials used for construction and decoration have been crafted by hand

More  representative areas in Asilah ..

2. Rehan cemetery

1. Ahfir Souk

The Ahfir Souk surrounding the Portuguese defensive walls .

3. The long beach

The beach of Asilah is extremely conveniently located, beginning just a kilometre north of the medina; many of the hotels are positioned right between the two attractions. the other beach of Asilah, 3 km south, is called Paradise Beach. You can get out here by horsedrawn carriage.

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Located on the edge of Asilah city.

4. The Jewish cemetery

 The cemetery in Asilah lies just down the coast from the city center. It is easily accessed by foot.

Gates (Babs)

2

• The Medina has five gates as you see on the map.

• Two of these gates are the main gates for the Medina ( Bab el-Kasaba & Bab el-Homar)

1. Bab Krikia

2. Bab Bhar

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4 5

3. Bab El Kasaba The main entrance, Bab al-Kasaba, leads to the Great Mosque

1

4. Bab souk

3

3. Bab el-Homar

One of the gates to the medina of Asilah, situated in a round fortifications tower ; Burj Bab al-Homar.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/asilah/attractions/asilah-medina/a/poi-sig/1404053/355502

Mosques (Jamaa) 2

1. The grand mosque

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3 5

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A bright-green door gives entrance to this mosque in the centre of the medina. It has a certain charm with its low roof and centrally positioned octagonal minaret.

2. Lalla Saida mosque

3. Zegouri mosque

4. Sidi mbarek

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5. Ben ayad mosque

MADRASAS (ZAOUIA) • Asilah has four Madrassas.

1. Zaouia Tijâniyya This Zaouia has two doors painted in blue and in the middle of the wall towards the Haddada there is a niche at the wall which indicates the Qiblah which is an Arabic word for the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays during Salah 2. Zaouia Aïssaoua

(Sidi Mohammed Ben Aïssa)

3. Zaouia Qâdiriyya

(Moulay Abdelqader)

http://www.essaouira.nu/culture_zaouia.htm

4. The Zaouia Hamadcha

Typologies through forms and spatial organization of buildings 2

1

OPEN HOUSE TO COURT OPEN HOUSE PATIO HOUSING TO FLOOR NOT LIVING SPACE

2. Mosque’s plan and elevation Not living space 1. house’s plan and section Open house to court

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Typologies through materials of buildings Structures, Materials, Technology, Construction •

Modern materials and methods of construction are used on the new buildings.

Reinforced concrete columns and beams are used, with the occasional use of some load bearing brick walls and partitions, and load bearing stone walls.

New floors are constructed out of reinforced hollow tiles. The most common material for walls is concrete and hollow bricks. The exterior walls are then mostly cement with a lime wash. Traditional ceramic tiles, zelij, or cedar woodwork are the common finishing materials.

•

The renovation and restoration work on the other hand has been done with mostly traditional materials and methods of construction. Local masons and craftsmen do the majority of the work. From photos, traditional construction on the ramparts appears to be unfinished brickwork, as compared to the whitewashed facades in most of the rest of town.

http://web.mit.edu/akpia/www/AKPsite/4.239/asilah/asilah.html

http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.1.wocmes_3.Khalid%20EL%20HARROUANI.pdf

Historic Monuments and Buildings Rehabilitation

•The restoration operation of the historical buildings.

•The restructuring operation of the surrounding the historic walls and their monumental gateways.

•Intervention on housing units threatening collapse.

•The requalification operation of the medina’s central quarters and places.

EXAMPLE: restoration of a house LOCATION BEFORE:

AFTER: ENTRANCE ROOM

ROOM

ROOM

COURT -YARD ROOM

ROOM GOAL: restore the old state of some the residential houses to provide evidences for the future generations.

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EXAMPLE 2: providing a pathway and a street between Al Homar gate & Sidi Al Asili tomb LOCATION

BEFORE:

AFTER:

GOAL: Developing the urban field that surrounds the medina considering it as a part of it. http://www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.1.wocmes_3.Khalid%20EL%20HARROUANI.pdf

EXAMPLE 3: Restore the ramparts

BEFORE:

AFTER:

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GOAL: Enhance the surrounding environment by restoring these ramparts & providing pathways around it for tourists.

EXAMPLE 4: Restore the towers

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

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GOAL: restore the historical evidences . Rehabilitate them as exhibitions for artistic work

International arts festival in Asilah

The Asilah Arts Festival is an annual cultural extravaganza that takes place in the Moroccan port town of Asilah.

During the month of August, the town is imparted with colour, exuberance and dynamism with a sophisticated mix of artists and world travellers looking to mingle and celebrate.

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/morocco/articles/the-top-10-things-to-do-and-see-in-asilah/

Conclusion • The project in

its success has improved the infrastructure of the town and given the residents a sense of pride and a greater access to income.

References • http://web.mit.edu/akpia/www/AKPsite/4.239/asilah/asilah.html • http://

www.rehabimed.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20.1.wocmes_3.Kh alid%20EL%20HARROUANI.pdf • https://

www.journeybeyondtravel.com/blog/raissouni-palace-asilah-morocco. html • https://theculturetrip.com/africa/morocco/articles/the-top-10-things-to

-do-and-see-in-asilah / • https://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/asilah/attractions/asilah-medi

na/a/poi-sig/1404053/355502 • http://www.essaouira.nu/culture_zaouia.htm • http://asilah-darmanara.com/en/how-to-get-there/