Module 016 · Illustrated Taxonomy

The Moroccan Alphabet of Craft

Sixty traditions. Ten categories. One illustrated plate.

Every major craft tradition in Morocco — from zellige tilework to rammed-earth construction — arranged as specimens on a single plate. Each entry: name, region, technique, materials. The categories span tile and mosaic, textile, leather, metalwork, wood, pottery, stone, fibre, body craft, and architecture. Some date to the 10th century. All are still practised today.

Tile & Mosaic(8)Textile(12)Leather(7)Metalwork(8)Wood(6)Pottery & Ceramics(8)Stone & Mineral(3)Fibre & Basketry(4)Body & Cosmetic(2)Architecture(2)

Plate I

A Taxonomic Survey of Moroccan Craft Traditions

60 specimens · 10 families · compiled by Dancing with Lions · Marrakech · 2026

1. Zellige

زليج

Fes

Hand-chiseled mosaic

Glazed terracotta

2. Bejmat

Fes / Marrakech

Rectangular brick tile

Unglazed terracotta

3. Cement Tile

Tetouan / Casablanca

Hydraulic press

Cement, marble dust, pigment

4. Tadelakt

تادلاكت

Marrakech

Polished lime plaster

Lime, soap, river stone

5. Gebs

Fes / Meknes

Carved plaster stucco

Gypsum plaster

6. Painted Cedar Ceiling

Fes / Marrakech

Polychrome painting

Cedar wood, egg tempera

7. Moucharabieh

Fes / Tetouan

Turned lattice screen

Cedar or walnut

8. Fountain Mosaic

Fes / Marrakech

Zellige assembly on curved form

Cut zellige, plaster

9. Beni Ourain Rug

Middle Atlas

Hand-knotted pile

Undyed sheep wool

10. Boucherouite Rug

Nationwide

Rag weaving on loom

Recycled fabric strips

11. Kilim (Hanbel)

High Atlas / Rif

Flatweave tapestry

Wool, cotton warp

12. Zanafi

Ouarzazate / Taznakht

Mixed pile and flatweave

Wool, natural dyes

13. Sabra Silk

Fes / Marrakech

Cactus silk weaving

Agave fibre (not silk)

14. Fassi Embroidery

Fes

Cross-stitch on linen

Blue cotton thread, linen

15. Rbati Embroidery

Rabat / Salé

Counted thread

Polychrome silk on cotton

16. Kaftan

Fes / Marrakech

Tailored garment + sfifa trim

Silk, brocade, gold thread

17. Handira

Middle Atlas

Wedding blanket weaving

Wool with sequin inserts

18. Zemmour Weaving

Khemisset

Tribal flatweave

Red wool, natural dyes

19. Indigo Dyeing

Marrakech / Fes

Vat dyeing, resist patterns

Indigo, wool or cotton

20. Wool Carding & Spinning

Atlas Mountains

Hand spindle (drop spindle)

Raw sheep wool

21. Tannery Dyeing

Fes (Chouara)

Pit dyeing, lime soak

Cow, goat, camel hide

22. Babouche

Fes / Marrakech

Hand-stitched slipper

Vegetable-tanned leather

23. Leather Pouf

Marrakech

Hand-cut, stitched, embossed

Goat leather, cotton fill

24. Bookbinding

Fes / Meknes

Tooled leather binding

Leather, gold leaf, paper

25. Saddle Making

Fes / Meknes

Shaped + embroidered

Leather, velvet, brass

26. Beldi Leather Bag

Nationwide

Cut, stitched, burnished

Full-grain goat leather

27. Parchment (Raqq)

Fes

Stretched, scraped, dried

Goat or sheep skin

28. Brass Tray (Siniya)

Fes / Marrakech

Hammered + engraved

Brass sheet

29. Pierced Lantern

Marrakech

Punched tin or brass

Tin, brass, coloured glass

30. Copper Kettle

Fes

Raised + soldered

Copper, tin lining

31. Wrought Iron

Marrakech / Fes

Forge + scroll bending

Iron bar stock

32. Silver Fibula

Tiznit / Anti-Atlas

Cast + filigree + stone set

Silver, coral, amber

33. Amazigh Necklace

Guelmim / Souss

Beading + pendant assembly

Silver, amazonite, coral

34. Door Knocker

Fes / Marrakech

Sand cast + finished

Brass or bronze

35. Tea Set

Fes / Tetouan

Raised + engraved pot + glasses

Silver-plated brass, glass

36. Thuya Marquetry

Essaouira

Inlay + veneer

Thuya burl, ebony, lemon wood

37. Cedar Carving

Fes / Middle Atlas

Relief carving on panel

Atlas cedar

38. Painted Wooden Door

Chefchaouen / Fes

Studded + painted panel

Cedar, iron nails, paint

39. Turned Wood (Kharrata)

Fes / Tetouan

Lathe turning

Cedar, walnut, citrus

40. Musical Instrument Making

Fes / Essaouira

Carved body + skin stretched

Walnut, goat skin, gut string

41. Loom Construction

Atlas villages

Joinery + tensioning

Hardwood, rope, heddle

42. Fassi Blue Pottery

Fes

Wheel-thrown, cobalt glaze

Clay, cobalt oxide, tin glaze

43. Safi Polychrome

Safi

Wheel-thrown, multi-colour glaze

Clay, mineral pigments

44. Tamegroute Green

Zagora / Draa Valley

Kiln-fired with green glaze

Desert clay, copper oxide, manganese

45. Berber Pottery

Rif / Atlas

Coil-built, open-fire

Unglazed earthenware, vegetable dye

46. Tajine

Nationwide

Wheel-thrown conical lid

Terracotta (cooking) or glazed (serving)

47. Tangia Pot

Marrakech

Amphora-shaped, unglazed

Terracotta

48. Salé Pottery

Salé (Oulja)

Coloured glaze, floral motifs

Clay, polychrome glaze

49. Terracotta Water Jug

Nationwide rural

Wheel or coil, evaporative cooling

Unglazed terracotta

50. Fossil Polishing

Erfoud / Midelt

Cut, polish, mount

Trilobite, ammonite limestone

51. Marble Carving

Meknes / Khenifra

Hand-carved basin or column

Moroccan marble, onyx

52. Taroudant Stone Box

Taroudant

Carved soft stone, fitted lid

Local soapstone

53. Palm Basket

Draa Valley / Figuig

Coiled and stitched

Date palm leaf

54. Raffia Weaving

Salé / Meknes

Woven + dyed basket

Raffia palm fibre

55. Doum Palm Hat

Marrakech region

Plaited brim construction

Doum palm leaf

56. Esparto Grass Mat

Eastern Morocco / Rif

Plaited floor covering

Halfa grass (alfa)

57. Argan Oil Pressing

Souss / Essaouira

Stone-ground cold press

Argan nut kernel

58. Black Soap (Savon Beldi)

Nationwide

Olive paste curing

Olive oil, potash, eucalyptus

59. Riad Construction

Fes / Marrakech

Inward courtyard plan

Rammed earth, lime, cedar

60. Pisé (Rammed Earth)

Nationwide

Formwork-tamped wall

Earth, straw, lime

Sources: Ministry of Artisanship & Social Economy · UNESCO Intangible Heritage Lists · Frommer's Morocco · House of Weaves Archive · Field observation

Reading Notes

The Three Architectures

Every decorated surface in a traditional Moroccan building uses three materials in vertical order: zellige (glazed tile mosaic) on the lower walls, gebs (carved plaster stucco) in the middle, and painted cedar woodwork on the ceiling. This trinity — tile, plaster, wood — defines Moroccan interior space from the 12th century medersas to the riads being restored today. Fes is the centre of excellence for all three.

Urban vs. Rural

Moroccan craft splits along an ancient line. Urban traditions — zellige, brass engraving, Fassi embroidery, bookbinding — carry Andalusian and Eastern influences, refined through guild systems in the imperial cities. Rural traditions — Berber pottery, tribal weaving, palm basketry — are older, geometric, symbolic, and almost exclusively women's work. The two streams coexist but rarely overlap. A Beni Ourain rug and a Fassi embroidered tablecloth come from different civilisations sharing the same country.

The Guild System

A maalem (master craftsman) teaches apprentices who learn by doing for years before being examined. The system — still alive in Fes — maintained quality for centuries. Each trade had its own souk, its own patron saint, its own hierarchy. The French protectorate (1912–1956) formalised the system through research and training centres. King Hassan II sponsored craftsmen for the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca — 6,000 artisans, 10,000 workers, the largest employment of traditional craftsmen in modern history.

By the Numbers

Crafts documented