Page 60 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 26

Community

Much of Morocco’s traditional
“Knowledge is a garden. If it isn’t cultivated, you can’t harvest architecture is marked by the

it.” ― African proverb
style that developed during
the Islamic period, from the
creates useless competitions 7th century onward. This

among our children; clean and Architecture architecture was part of a
gut health nutrition which they Currently, there is a whole wider tradition of “Moorish”
got from their food; clean air; lot of buzz globally about or western Islamic architecture,
good relationships between climate change, sustainable which characterized both the

people, you name it. Spirituality development, etc. One area Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and
definitely is the central force that that is notorious for greenhouse Tunisia) and al-Andalus (Muslim
kept the community together, emissions is the construction Spain and Portugal. It blended
which is why most African family sector which accounts for about influences from Amazigh

compounds or communities have 38% of global greenhouse (Berber) culture in North Africa,
their shrines in the midst of the emissions, according to UNEP. pre-Islamic Spain (Roman,
compound as a uniting force for But the good news is that the Byzantine, and Visigothic), and
the whole, but this is not the only solution to greenhouse emissions contemporary artistic currents

thing that the ancient Africans is mostly found in Exploring in the Islamic Middle East to
were known for. Eco-friendly, Earth-Building elaborate a unique style over
Technologies For A Greener centuries with recognizable
And not to lie to ourselves, some Earth. Period. This is a thing features such as the horseshoe

of those spiritual or religious that ancient Africans knew so arch, riad gardens, and elaborate
cultures carry with them some well, practiced, and went ahead geometric and arabesque motifs
acts of savagery, like the killing to create eco-friendly homes, in wood, carved stucco, and zellij
of slaves for the funerals of communities, and environments. tilework. (Source: Wikipedia)

kings or royalty, the killing of We have to return to the use
twins in some parts of Africa, Morocco is one country in Africa of natural earth materials for
blood rituals and sacrifices, the that has maintained its beautiful our modern-day architecture.
worship of evil entities, etc. And ancient architecture. Ancient They are cleaner, cheaper, eco-

this is a common thing in every Moroccan architecture was friendly, and also breathable.
culture of the world. There are known for the use of earth or
the good sides and the bad sides. mud brick called pisé (French). Health system
But we must focus on the good Just like you see on the coast African traditional medicine is

sides, embrace them, and also of Kenya, where the Swahili a form of holistic health care
build on them. architecture which was built system organized into three levels
using limestone, lime, coral, etc. of specialty, namely divination,
Some ancient African wisdom still grace the landscape. spiritualism, and herbalism.

that we need today The traditional healer provides

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