The Muti-Nucleus Structure of Moroccan Medinas

Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

The investigation of medinas as the historical texture and the primary nucleus of Moroccan cities and their comparison with each other will reveal their multiple historical layers as well as the various rules and dimensions of their formation. This investigation of the historical medinas in the old parts of Fes, Rabat, Tangier, Tétouan as well as Meknes and Marrakesh shows that apparently, beside the different layers of activity, the internal spaces of the medinas do not affirm the existence of a central, independent urban unit in a large scale. Due to the particularity of these centers in the texture, the present locations do not have a memorial or identity-related significance for the other citizens. Therefore, the internal spaces of the medinas reflect a perspective of a range of insignificant centers and the title of the multi-nucleus city suits them. In the case of the external space of the medinas, the city center is outside the border, in the margins of urban area. This turns border, as a marginal element, to an element inside the urban texture. As such, city center serves as a space with identity related entity in Morocco.

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