From the palaces of Fez to the riads of Marrakesh, from the trading posts of Essaouira to the Kasbahs of the south, this book seeks out the most singular living spaces in Morocco, a country blessed with one of the richest architectural heritages in North Africa. Corinne Verner explores the archetypes of the Moroccan built environment in over 200 glorious colour photographs, interspersed with numerous essays exploring a number of related topics, from the decorative arts of Morocco and the concept of the garden as metaphors for paradise to contemporary fashions and developments.

The austere facades that line the labyrinthine streets of Morocco's ancient walled neighborhoods reveal almost nothing of the luminous residences within. "The Villas and Riads of Morocco" lifts the veil on these secret paradises, from fantastic palaces in Fez and Essaouira to middle-class riads in Marrakech to converted casbahs in the southern oases. With more than 200 stunning photographs, this beautiful volume takes us behind the scenes to explore a side of Morocco that is largely hidden to outsiders. The book showcases exquisite interiors that combine rich materials such as cedar and marble; luxurious carpets and textiles; filigree carving and other handiwork; and vibrant color palettes. Also featured is the remarkable mosaicwork found especially in the central courtyard gardens and patios that form the heart of the Moroccan house. Accompanying these sumptuous views is a vivid history of the country's residential architecture and its fascinating mix of Andalusian, Arab, and Saharan influences. "The Villas and Riads of Morocco" not only offers a feast for the eyes but also illuminates an entire culture.

There are two cities in Marrakesh - the first, the capital, is geometrically and secretly laid out.

Through a thick ethnography of the Fez medina in Morocco, a World Heritage site since 1981, Manon Istasse interrogates how human beings come to define houses as heritage. Istasse interrogates how heritage appears (or not) when inhabitants undertake construction and restoration projects in their homes, furnish and decorate their spaces, talk about their affective and sensual relations with houses, face conflicts in and about their houses, and more. Shedding light on the continuum between houses-as-dwellings and houses-as-heritage, the author establishes heritage as a trajectory: heritage as a quality results from a ‘surplus of attention’ and relates to nostalgia or to a feeling of threat, loss, and disappearance; to values related to purity, materiality, and time; and to actions of preservation and transmission. Living in a World Heritage site provides a grammar of heritage that will allow scholars to question key notions of temporality and nostalgia, the idea of culture, the importance of experts, and moral principles in relation to heritage sites around the globe.

Following the tradition and style of the acclaimed Index Islamicus, the editors have created this new Bibliography of Art and Architecture in the Islamic World. The editors have surveyed and annotated a wide range of books and articles from collected volumes and journals published in all European languages (except Turkish) between 1906 and 2011. This comprehensive bibliography is an indispensable tool for everyone involved in the study of material culture in Muslim societies.

"Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son, Limited."

This book demonstrates, through discussions on sustainability and regional identity, and via a series of case studies, that the courtyard housing form has a future as well as a past.