Dar Bellarj through time

Ben Youssef Madrasa, Marrakech 2008 The Ben Youssef Madrasa was once the largest Islamic college in North Africa, originally founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in its present form by the Saadian sultans in the 16th century. Photographed in 2008, it shows the ornate courtyard architecture for which the Marrakech landmark is known.

Ben Yusef madrassa - after a brief rain shower 2008 Rain glistens on the courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in this 2008 photograph, taken shortly after a shower. The Marrakech madrasa, rebuilt under the Saadian dynasty in the 16th century, was among the largest Quranic schools in the Maghreb.

Marrakesh Ben Youssef Madrasa courtyard 1 2009 The courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, photographed in 2009. Once North Africa's largest Islamic college, the madrasa was built in the 1560s under the Saadian dynasty and is decorated with elaborate stucco and zellij tilework.

Ben Joussef Museum 2010 The Ben Youssef quarter of Marrakech's medina in Morocco is home to museums of Moroccan decorative arts set within restored 19th-century riads, near the city's historic Islamic college.

Ben Youssef Medressa 2010 The Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, is pictured in this 2010 photograph. Founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 16th, it was once one of the largest Islamic colleges in North Africa.

Die typischen maurischen Torbögen finden sich überall in der Medina wieder 2011 Horseshoe-shaped Moorish archways of the kind that recur throughout Marrakech's medina, photographed in 2011. Such scalloped doorways are a hallmark of the old quarter's traditional houses and passageways.

Innenhof der Medersa Ben Youssef, Marrakesch 2011 The courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, once North Africa's largest Islamic college, seen here in 2011. Its walls are covered in the carved stucco and zellige tilework for which the building is renowned.

Detailansicht Innenhof Medersa Ben Youssef, Marrakesch 2011 A close view of the carved plaster and tile ornament in the courtyard of Marrakech's Ben Youssef Madrasa, photographed in 2011. The intricate geometric and calligraphic patterns are characteristic of Marinid-era religious architecture.

Die prächtige Mashrabiya-Tür aus Zedernholz der Medersa Ben Youssef, Marrakesch 2011 A cedarwood mashrabiya door in the Ben Youssef Madrasa, Marrakech, photographed in 2011. The perforated latticework, carved from cedar, allowed air to circulate while screening the rooms behind it.

Main courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 The main courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrassa in Marrakech, photographed in 2012. Founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 1560s under the Saadian dynasty, it was once one of North Africa's largest Islamic colleges.

Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 The Ben Youssef Madrassa in Marrakech, Morocco, photographed in 2012. Once a Quranic college housing hundreds of students, the building closed as a school in 1960 and later reopened to the public as a historic monument.

Main courtyard at the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 Another view of the central courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrassa in Marrakech, taken in 2012, showing the carved stucco and zellij tilework typical of Saadian-era religious architecture in the city.

Doorway leading to main courtyard at the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 A carved doorway opening onto the courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrassa in Marrakech, photographed in 2012, its ornamentation reflecting the Saadian dynasty's 16th-century rebuilding of the madrasa.

Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 A further view of the Ben Youssef Madrassa in Marrakech, taken in 2012. Named after the nearby Ben Youssef Mosque, the former Islamic college remains one of the largest historic madrasas in Morocco.

Médersa 2012 A view inside a historic madrasa in Marrakech's old medina, photographed in 2012. The medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains several Islamic schools noted for their carved stucco and tilework.

Shrine at the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 A shrine inside the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, photographed in 2012. The madrasa, rebuilt in the 16th century under the Saadian dynasty, was once the largest Islamic college in North Africa and is known for its elaborate carved decoration.

Shrine off th main courtyard at the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 Another view of a shrine off the main courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, taken in 2012. The courtyard is celebrated for its carved stucco, cedar wood, and zellij tilework.

Cedar wood carved balconies at the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 Carved cedar wood balconies at the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, photographed in 2012. The madrasa's woodwork is among the finest examples of Saadian-era craftsmanship in the city.

Main entrance to the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 The main entrance of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech's old medina, photographed in 2012. Founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 16th, the madrasa was once North Africa's largest Islamic college.

Doorway leading to student dormitory at the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 A doorway leading to a student dormitory at the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, photographed in 2012. Students once lived in small cells surrounding the building's central courtyard while studying there.

Shrine marble carvings Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech, Morocco 2012 Marble carvings at a shrine within the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, photographed in 2012. The madrasa is noted for its combination of carved marble, stucco, and cedar decoration.

Marrakech Museum - Sept 2014 2014 The Marrakech Museum occupies the restored Dar Menebhi Palace, a late-19th-century residence in the city's medina; this photograph was taken in September 2014.

0231 MEDERSA ben YOUSSEF 2014 The Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech's medina, once one of the largest Islamic colleges in North Africa, seen here in a view described as its library. The madrasa was originally founded in the 14th century and later rebuilt.

Medersa Ben Youssef 2015 Carved stucco and zellige tilework decorate the courtyard facade of the Medersa Ben Youssef in Marrakech, Morocco, as visitors pass below, 2015.

Médersa in 2016 2016 A view in Marrakech's medina, Morocco, photographed on 7 January 2016. The old walled quarter is known for its maze of narrow streets and traditional riad houses.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 A view inside the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a former Quranic school in Marrakech's medina noted for its carved stucco and zellij tilework, photographed in January 2016.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 The Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, January 2016. The madrasa functioned as an Islamic college until 1960 and has since been restored and opened to visitors.

Médersa in 2016 2016 This photograph, taken in Marrakech's medina on 7 January 2016, shows part of the old city sometimes called the 'Red City' for its ochre-coloured walls.

Médersa in 2016 2016 Marrakech, Morocco, January 2016, within the winding streets of the medina, the historic walled quarter at the heart of the city.

Médersa in 2016 2016 A scene from Marrakech's historic medina, Morocco, photographed in January 2016. Founded in the 11th century, the medina remains the city's old walled core.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 Another January 2016 view of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, showing the carved decoration typical of the Saadian-era school building.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 Interior detail of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, captured in January 2016. The madrasa is known for its carved stucco, cedar wood, and geometric zellij tilework.

Médersa in 2016 2016 Marrakech, Morocco, on 7 January 2016, within the city's old walled medina quarter.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 1545 DxO 2016 The courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, photographed in January 2016; the madrasa was once among the largest Islamic schools in the Maghreb.

Marrakech Museum 2016 Another January 2016 view inside the Marrakech Museum, set within the restored Dar Menebhi Palace in the city's medina.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 A further January 2016 photograph of the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a historic Islamic school in the heart of Marrakech's medina.

Dar Bellarj 2016 Dar Bellarj in Marrakech's medina, photographed in January 2016. The building, whose name means 'House of the Storks,' formerly served as a hospital for birds before its conversion into a cultural foundation hosting exhibitions and events.

Médersa in 2016 2016 A street scene captured in Marrakech, Morocco in January 2016, part of a series of images documenting the city's medina and daily life during that period, when the old quarter remained a dense mix of markets, workshops, and housing.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 The Ben Youssef Madrasa, a former Islamic college in the Marrakech medina, is seen here in January 2016. Founded in the 14th century and rebuilt by the Saadians in the 16th, it is known for its intricately carved cedar, stucco, and zellige tilework.

Marrakech Museum 2016 Housed in a former palace built for Mehdi Mnebhi, the Marrakech Museum displays Moroccan art and ceramics within a courtyard famed for its ornate chandelier, seen here in January 2016.

Dar Bellarj 1657 DxO 2016 This January 2016 photograph shows Dar Bellarj in Marrakech's old city, a former stork hospital turned cultural center hosting art exhibitions and workshops.

Marrakech Museum 2016 This January 2016 image shows part of the Marrakech Museum, converted from the 19th-century Dar Mnebhi Palace and known for its Andalusian-Moorish courtyard architecture.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 Carved cedar beams, stucco reliefs, and geometric zellige tiles decorate the Ben Youssef Madrasa, once North Africa's largest Islamic college, photographed in Marrakech in January 2016.

Marrakech Museum 2016 The Dar Mnebhi Palace, now home to the Marrakech Museum, was built in the late 1800s for a Moroccan defense minister; this January 2016 photograph captures its traditional courtyard.

Marrakech Museum 2016 Photographed in January 2016, the Marrakech Museum's central courtyard, with its large chandelier and tiled walls, reflects the building's origins as a 19th-century palace.

Dar Bellarj 2016 Photographed in January 2016, this scene at Dar Bellarj captures part of the historic Marrakech building that now hosts exhibitions after its earlier use as a bird sanctuary.

Marrakech Museum 2011 DxO 2016 The Marrakech Museum's collection of Moroccan art and textiles is displayed within the restored Dar Mnebhi Palace, pictured here in January 2016, a late 19th-century mansion built for the statesman Mehdi Mnebhi.

Dar Bellarj 1724 DxO 2016 Dar Bellarj sits near Marrakech's Ben Youssef Madrasa and takes its name, meaning 'House of the Storks', from birds once tended there; this image dates to January 2016.

Médersa in 2016 2016 This image, taken in Marrakech, Morocco in January 2016, captures a corner of a city long known as a crossroads between the Sahara, the Atlas Mountains, and the Atlantic coast of northwest Africa.

Médersa in 2016 2016 Recorded in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016, the photograph is one of several documenting the city's streets and architecture during a visit that January, when the medina's alleys were still busy with foot traffic and trade.

Marrakech Museum 2016 This detail from the Marrakech Museum, January 2016, shows the Andalusian-Moorish decoration typical of the late 19th-century palace the museum now occupies.

Marrakech Museum 2016 Built as a private residence for Mehdi Mnebhi in the late 19th century, the palace that now houses the Marrakech Museum is shown here in a January 2016 photograph.

Médersa in 2016 2016 In this 2016 photograph from Marrakech, Morocco, the scene reflects the dense, walled layout typical of the city's historic medina and its centuries-old street pattern of narrow, winding lanes.

Médersa in 2016 2016 Taken during a January 2016 visit to Marrakech, Morocco, this photograph is part of a broader set covering the winding streets of the city's medina district, one of the largest traditional urban centers in Africa.

Dar Bellarj 2016 The Saadian-era architecture of Dar Bellarj, a former stork shelter turned Marrakech arts center, is visible in this January 2016 photograph, taken near the Ben Youssef Madrasa in the city's old medina.

Dar Bellarj 2016 In Marrakech's old medina, Dar Bellarj's restored courtyard and rooms, seen here in January 2016, now serve as exhibition space for the cultural foundation that occupies the historic building.

Médersa in 2016 2016 This 2016 image from Marrakech, Morocco shows a view typical of the city's older neighborhoods, still enclosed by their traditional ramparts and gates that date back to the Almoravid and Almohad eras.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2016 Marrakech's Ben Youssef Madrasa, rebuilt in the 16th century under Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib, drew visitors to its ornate courtyard when this photograph was taken in January 2016.

Marrakech Museum 2016 The Marrakech Museum, seen here in January 2016, preserves the Andalusian-Moorish architecture of the palace built for statesman Mehdi Mnebhi more than a century earlier.

Marrakech Museum 2016 Traditional zellige tilework and carved plasterwork line the Marrakech Museum's courtyard, part of the former Dar Mnebhi Palace, in this January 2016 photograph.

Dar Bellarj 2016 The restored rooms of Dar Bellarj, a Saadian-period building in Marrakech now used for art exhibitions, appear in this January 2016 photograph; the house's name recalls the storks once tended on its roof.

Dar Bellarj 2016 Another view from Dar Bellarj in Marrakech, Morocco, photographed in January 2016, showing the courtyard building that now serves as an arts and cultural center in the heart of the old medina.

Dar Bellarj 2016 Dar Bellarj occupies a former hospital for storks in the Marrakech medina, its name derived from the Arabic word for the bird once cared for on the site. Restored as a cultural foundation, it now hosts art exhibitions and workshops, seen here in a 2016 photograph.

Dar Bellarj 2016 This 2016 image shows another view of Dar Bellarj, a converted historic building in the heart of Marrakech's old medina that today functions as a nonprofit space for exhibitions and cultural events.

Dar Bellarj 2016 Interior detail from Dar Bellarj in Marrakech, a nineteenth-century structure originally built to shelter storks before its conversion into an arts foundation, photographed in 2016.

Marrakech Museum 2017 The Marrakech Museum, housed in the late nineteenth-century Dar Menebhi Palace, photographed in 2017. The building's courtyards and ornate plasterwork, built for a Moroccan government minister, now display art and artifacts from the region's history.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2017 A courtyard view inside the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, photographed in 2017. Founded in the fourteenth century and rebuilt by the Saadian sultans in the sixteenth, the former Islamic college is noted for its carved stucco, cedar woodwork, and zellige tilework.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2017 Another view inside the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, photographed in 2017. Once one of the largest Islamic colleges in North Africa, the madrasa's rooms surround a central courtyard decorated with carved stucco and geometric tilework.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 2017 A third photograph inside the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, taken in 2017. Restored in the 1990s after decades of closure, the madrasa reopened as a historic site showcasing Saadian-era craftsmanship.

Medina of Marrakesh 2022 The medina of Marrakech, Morocco, photographed in September 2022; Marrakech's walled old city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Morocco's four imperial cities.

Medina of Marrakesh 2022 A street scene in the Medina of Marrakesh, Morocco, photographed in September 2022. The old walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its dense network of souks, riads, and historic architecture.

Medina of Marrakesh 2022 A scene from the medina of Marrakech, Morocco's walled old city, photographed in September 2022. Marrakech was founded around 1070 by the Almoravid dynasty and became one of Morocco's four historic imperial cities, and the old city is nicknamed the "Red City" for the red sandstone used in its walls and buildings.

Medina of Marrakesh 2022 A scene from the medina of Marrakech, Morocco's walled old city, photographed in September 2022. Marrakech was founded around 1070 by the Almoravid dynasty and became one of Morocco's four historic imperial cities, and the medina is threaded with souks, traditional markets selling spices, leather goods, and textiles.

Luis Carlos Barragán Ben Youssef Madrasa 2023 The Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, Morocco, a former Islamic college known for its intricate stucco and zellige tilework, photographed in 2023.

Jemaa el-Fnaa Marrakech at sunset 2024 Jemaa el-Fnaa, the central square and marketplace of Marrakech's old city, is pictured at sunset in this 2024 photograph. The square has served as a hub for storytellers, food vendors, and traders for centuries.