Wood

Wood is a material appreciated for its mechanical properties (mechanics is the branch of science which studies the movement of the material systems and their deformations, in relation to the forces which cause or modify this movement or these deformations). He is also appreciated for his calorific value.

Wood is a raw material for chemical industry, that one draws mainly from the trunk of the trees and the bamboos. It has many uses in the building and the' industry and as a fuel.

Material stable, resistant, aesthetic and natural, It is one of the most powerful panels of its generation. We find it in construction and interior decoration, it can take all the forms and marry all the curves.

The use of wood in Morocco is very old and goes back to the VII th century. It was used for construction in the mosques, the monuments and the dwellings. Wood is carved rich reasons and originals giving him a captivating beauty, it is a very refined art in Morocco which requires much working time.

There exist several varieties of trees such as the cedar, the pine, the beech, the thuja, the lemon tree, the acacia and the olive-tree. Nevertheless, the cedar is the more used wood in Morocco, it is a wood which needs to be neither treated nor varnished. It is imputrescible, indeed, it cannot be attacked by the bad weather and the insects with the proviso that it is quite dry before its use.

Wood is a means of artistic expression in marquetry and the woodcarving. Indeed, one can admire beautiful carved and painted wood collections whose forms are in osmosis with the decorations. It is an art, it is used for the ceilings, the planks, the wall panels, the moucharabiehs as well as utility or decorative objects and the pieces of furniture.

Thanks to master craftsmen, the sculpture of wood is a know-how which remains from generation to generation. It is a source of rich inspiration for the creators of today. There are several ways of working and of carving wood, and among them the moucharabieh.

The moucharabieh is a device which makes it possible to observe without being seen. Its name comes from the Arabic « machrabiyyah ». The Arab word derives from the verb charaba, meaning to drink. The word comes from the practice to drink under the shade of the moucharabieh where they placed the michraba, porous jugs to obtain fresh water by evaporation.

The moucharabieh is a system of directional shutters composed of wood rods turned, carved and intersected, letting appear small octagonal or spangled openings. It allows the people located inside the house to observe outside without being seen. It is often present in the palaces beside the hidden doors leading to the anterooms. Resulting from Islamic architecture, it is primarily used to hide the women of the inquisitive eyes.

The moucharabieh is employed in interior and external joinery, it serves of separation between two spaces but also for the realization of the doors as xell as the windows and all kinds of furniture. Applied to the windows, it preserves a space of intimacy and well being shade, while letting pass the air, when heat is overpowering.

 

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