Tradition · woodwork
Moucharabieh: carved wooden screens and the art of seeing
A moucharabieh, or mashrabiya, is a screen of carved or turned wood set into a window or balcony. From inside you can see out; from the street it is hard to see in.
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What it does
The lattice softens strong sunlight, lets air move through the building and keeps the interior private, while those inside can still watch the street. Similar screens are found across North Africa and the Middle East; in French, and in Morocco, they are often called moucharabieh.
How it is made
Traditional screens are made from many short pieces of wood joined into a geometric lattice, some turned on a lathe, others cut and carved. In Morocco, fine woodwork is closely tied to cedar from the Atlas, used for carved ceilings, doors and screens in historic houses and religious buildings.
Where to see it
Carved wood is part of the decoration of madrasas, palaces and riads in the medinas of Fes and Marrakech, alongside zellige tiles and carved plaster. In Fes, the Nejjarine Museum, housed in a former merchants’ inn, is devoted to wooden arts and crafts.
From screen to sunglasses
The No Deadlines design turns carved wood and moucharabieh latticework into a pair of sunglasses: an architectural craft made for looking out without being seen, reimagined as a way to see the world on your own terms.
Sources
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