Morocco Glossary
Below is a glossary of some common terms, most of them Moroccan Arabic, used to describe Moroccan architecture, religion and history.
- adhan
- call to prayer, which is chanted from loudspeakers at mosques five times a day
- agadir
- fortified granary
- agdal
- garden or park with a pool
- Alaouite
- Moroccan dynasty that has ruled from 1669 to the present (see Morocco Timeline)
- Almohad
- great medieval Moroccan dynasty that ruled Morocco and parts of Spain 1147-1248 (see Morocco Timeline)
- Almoravid
- Moroccan dynasty that ruled 1062-1145 and founded the city of Marrakesh (see Morocco Timeline)
- Andalous/Andalusia
- Muslim Spain (and a modern region of Spain)
- Arabesque
- a type of geometrical decoration or calligraphy
- bab
- gate or door
- babouches
- slippers
- bali
- old
- baraka
- blessing obtained through saints or marabouts
- Berbers
- native inhabitants of Morocco and the majority of the population
- bordj
- fort
- dar
- house or palace
- darj w ktarf
- lit. "cheek and shoulder"; an Almohad architectural motif resembling a fleur-de-lis
- djebel
- mountain peak or ridge
- djedid
- (also spelled jdid) new
- djemaa
- (also spelled jemaa) lit. "place of assembly"; usually refers to a mosque or Friday
- fondouk
- inn and storehouse (equivalent of "caravansari" elsewhere in the Arab world)
- hadj
- (also spelled hajj) pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the Five Pillars of Islam
- hammam
- Turkish bath
- maghreb
- lit. "West"; refers to Morocco and the North African countries
- medersa
- student residence and sometimes teaching annexe for Islamic schools, in which students learned the Qur'an by heart
- medina
- the original Arab part of a Moroccan town, often charactized by winding lanes
- mellah
- Jewish quarter
- Merenids
- Moroccan dynasty that ruled 1248-1465 (see Morocco Timeline)
- mihrab
- niche in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca, often beautifully decorated
- minaret
- tower attached to a mosque
- minbar
- pulpit in a mosque, used by the imam for the Friday sermon
- mosque
- Muslim place of worship (see Mosques)
- moulay
- descendent of the Prophet Muhammad; title adopted by most Moroccan sultans
- riad
- house built around a patio garden; now a popular form of guesthouse
- ribat
- monastic fortress
- Qur'an
- (also spelled Koran by English speakers) Muslim holy book, revealed to Muhammad in the 7th century AD
- Saadian
- Moroccan dynasty that ruled 1554-1669 (see Morocco Timeline)
- sheikh
- leader of a religious brotherhood
- shereef
- descendent of the Prophet Muhammad
- sidi
- (also si) respectful title used for a man, like "Sir"; also means "saint"
- souk
- market or market quarter
Sources
- The Rough Guide to Morocco, 7th ed. (October 2004).
