Pictures photos images of he Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou is a Moroccan mud brick adobe fortified village located on the southern edge of the High Atlas mountains in Morocco. Ait Ben Haddou is situated on the banks of the Ounila River at the entrance to the Ounila Valley, and the site was one of the many trading posts on the commercial route linking ancient Sudan to Marrakesh by the Dra Valley and the Tizi-n'Telouet Pass. The Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou is a picturesque example of southern pre-Saharan Moroccan architecture. The ksar is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings inside a defensive wall which are reinforced by towers and pierced with two gates. The buildings of Ait Ben Haddou crowd together within the fortifications some being modest houses, whilst others resemble small urban castles or kasbas, family units is the ksar, with their high angle towers and upper sections decorated with motifs in clay brick. The oldest buildings of Ait Ben Haddou do not appear to be earlier than the 17th century, although their architectural structure and technique are from a very early time in Djebel and in the valleys of southern Morocco. Architecturally, the living quarters of Ait Ben Haddou form a compact grouping, and the community areas of the ksar include a mosque, a public square, grain threshing areas outside the ramparts, a fortification and a loft at the top of the village, an caravanserai, two cemeteries (Muslim and Jewish) and the Sanctuary of the Saint Sidi Ali or Amer. The Ksar of Ait- Ben-Haddou is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings offering a complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques. Unlike other Ksars in the area Ait Ben Haddou has preserved its architectural authenticity with regard to configuration and materials. The architectural style is well preserved and the earthen constructions are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions and are in harmony with the natural and social environment. The picturesque and unspoilt nature of Ait Ben Haddou and its biblical architecture has made it popular with movie makers and it has been the backdrop in such diverse films as The Man Who Would Be King (film) (1975), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Time Bandits (1981), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Prince of Persia (2010) to name a few. Download pictures of Ait Ben Haddou as stock photos or buy as photo wall art. Visit our ISLAMIC ART & HISTORICAL SITES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Islam-Islamic-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000WMzJTSRGkTw

Photos images pictures of the Alhambra Palace, Granada Spain. Although the Berber Moors started their conquest of the Iberian peninsular, present day Spain and Portugal, in 711 it was not until the 11th century that Granada was founded. At that time Granada was a hamlet called Gárnata, and after the fall of the Umayyad Andalusian kingdom, Al-Andalus was fragmented into a number of minor states and principalities, most notably the Emirate of Granada. One of the great tourist attractions of Spain is the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Completed towards the end of Muslim rule of Spain by Yusuf I (1333–1353) and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (1353–1391), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last centuries of the Moorish rule of Al Andalus, reduced to the Nasrid Emirate of Granada. The Royal Complex consists of three main parts: Mexuar, Serallo, and the Harem. The Mexuar is modest in decor and houses the functional areas for conducting business and administration. Strapwork is used to decorate the surfaces in Mexuar. Serallo, built during the reign of Yusuf I in the 14th century, contains the Court of the Myrtles. Brightly coloured interiors featured dado panels, yesería, azulejo, cedar, and Artesonado are highly decorative ceilings and other woodwork. Lastly, the Harem is also elaborately decorated and contains the living quarters for the wives and mistresses of the Berber monarchs. Court of the Myrtles The present entrance to the Moorish palace is by a small door from which a corridor connects to the Court of the Myrtles, also called the Court of the Blessing or Court of the Pond, from the Arabic birka meaning “pool". Hall of the Ambassadors The Hall of the Ambassadors is the largest in the Alhambra. It is a square room, that was the grand reception room of the sultan with a throne placed opposite the entrance. Court of the Lions and the Fabulous Fountain. The Court of the Lions, a unique example of Muslim art. The Court of the Lions is an oblong court surrounded by a low gallery supported on 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court at each extremity, with filigree walls and a light domed roof. The square is paved with coloured tiles and the colonnade with white marble, while the lower parts of the walls are covered with blue and yellow tile tessaltions, with a border above and below of enamelled blue and gold. Hall of the Abencerrajes. The Hall of the Abencerrajes gets its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that line to a banquet, massacred them here. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is decorated in blue, brown, red and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner . The Alhambra is UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints

Pictures & images of the Ottoman villas of Amasya along the banks of the Yeşilırmak River and the Royal Pontic Kings Tombs, Turkey. Situated in north central Turkey in the Black Sea Region, Amasya stands at the mouth of a mountainous gorge through which the Yeşilırmak River flows to the sea. Amaseia or Amasia of antiquity dates back 7500 years its position being a natural place to control the passage of people and animals along the river gorge. Amasya was occupied by Phrygians, Lydian's, Persians and Armenians becoming an independent Pontic Kingdom in the Hellenistic period. Conquered by the Romans in 70 BC Amasya became the administrative centre of the Roman province of Bithynia and Pontus. Under the Ottoman rule, Sultan Bayezid I made Amasya an important centre of learning and sent his children to be educated there. Today tourists visit Amasya to see the picturesque Ottoman houses and villas that line the banks of the Yeşilırmak River. Above these houses are the Royal tombs carved into the rock face of the Pontic Kings including Mithridates I who reigned from 281–266 BC. The walls of the ancient citadel can be seen above and on the mountain top above the Ottoman houses. Download Pictures & images of the Ottoman villas of Amasya along the banks of the Yeşilırmak River and the Royal Pontic Kings Tombs or buy as photo art prints on line. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amasya Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg Add photos of Amasya using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/amasya-turkey.html

Photos, pictures and images of Arabesque tiles, plaster work and architectural decorations. The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of surface and relief decorations based on repeating and linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils or plain lines. This builds in complexity to produce the incredible Mocarabe Arabesque stalactite plaster work ceilings such as those in the Alhambra Palace Granada. Pre Islamic Arabesque influences can be seen in the Byzantine Roman column capitals of Hagia Sophia ( present day Istanbul) and the early examples of Muqarnas can be found in pre Islamic Samara in Iraq. In Arabesque plasterwork calligraphy with religious messages is interwoven with geometric deigns. The style is typified by deeply recessed reliefs and long narrow plaster panels with calligraphy which are commonly used above courses of geometric tiles throughout Islamic buildings. Arabesque architectural decorations are utilised in all aspects of Islamic architecture. Exterior and interior surfaces are often completely covered with geometric tiles and doorways, niches, window arches and ceiling are given great attention with incredibly intricate wood and plaster work designs as can be seen in the Mocarabe, Honeycomb work or Stalactite work, in the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Arabesque tile and ceramic designs are a great feature of Islamic architecture. One of the highlights are the Iznik tiles of the Ottoman Empire used with spectacular effect in interior of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Tile making in all parts of the Islamic Middle East and North Africa produce incredible geometric tile designs. From the Exterior tiles of the Dome of the Rock In Jerusalem and The Friday Mosque in Herat, Afghanistan to the Berber Arabesque tiles of North Africa and the Alhambra in Spain, the variation in Islamic tile and ceramic design is seemingly endless. Arabesque art has influenced western art since the Middle Ages. The Normans of Sicily fused their northern European culture with that of the Byzantine Romans and Islamic art to produce great interiors like that of the Palatine chapel in Palermo with its wooden Arabesque stalactite ceiling. Byzantine oriental textiles and decorative arts were introduced into Europe via Venice who embraced the style in the architecture of great Palaces that line the Grand Canal. The Moors of Spain produced Hispano Moresque lustreware which was highly prized by the Christian countries of Europe. The Arabesque style is still very much alive in both Islamic and Christian countries where its mesmerising designs still delight consumers and connoisseurs alike. Buy Photos, pictures and images of Arabesque tiles, plaster work and architectural decorations on line or buy as photo art prints

Pictures photos images of Berber Arabesque plasterwork and its various styles. One of the great mediums used by the Berber Arabeque is plasterwork and under the Nasrids this reached the highly sophisticated forms that can be seen in the Alhambra Palace in Granada. The main architectural features within the buildings are ceramic mosaics, plasterwork and carved wooden ceilings all profusely decorated. Nasrid plasterwork in the Alhambra is probably the best example of Berber plasterwork. It has been worked onto every interior space in the Alhambra with such fine detail that it almost looks like textile hangings with intricated ornamental design. the plasterwork elements brake down into calligraphic inscriptions, geometric lazo, ataurique and mocárabes.There are two types of calligraphic styles in the Alhambra plasterwork are Kufic an early angular form of the Arabic alphabet found chiefly in decorative inscriptions which usually had quotations from the Holy Qur’an, and Nashkhid-Thuluth a cursive script style using with the flowing curved characters.Kufic caligraphy uses square and angular straight lines and bold circular forms. When the calligraphy is incorporated into plaster panels the letters are elongated to blend with the overall design. The Nashkhid-Thuluth style is much more flowing and elegant more like script and the style is used commonly in the narrow panels that are placed on top of tiles that line the lower walls of Berber buildings. The most popular script in Narid buildings is the dynastic motto 'Wa la ghalib ila Ala' which translates 'There is no conqueror but God.' Geometric lazo plasterwork is a popular design used throughout Islamic art. The Nasrid liked the geometric lazo of eight, a variation unique to themselves, that incorporated an eight pointed star.in a square grid which became the central point of a bigger design called “ruedas” or wheels. Berber Nasrid art also used stylised abstracted floral and vegetal motifs based on trees, flowers and fruits. These designs known as ataurique fill spaces between the geometric Lazo designs to create an overwhelming surface geometry. During Muhammed V (1354) more themes and variations appear: complex palm leaves shells, peppercorns, pine cones, and for the first time, they begin to appear intertwined with calligraphic inscriptions. The most spectacular use of plasterwork are the Mocárabe decorative elements. Berber Arabesque Mocárabe, Honeycomb work, or Stalactite work consists of a complex array of vertical prisms resembling stalactites. The stalactite design may be a symbolic representation of the cave where Mohammed received the Koran. The Nasrid dynasty of Granada used mocárabe extensively and used it around the capitals of its columns thereby making a new order of column. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Photos of zellinge mosaic Berber tile designs of Morocco and Spain. Zellige, zillij or zellij are enamelled geometric terracotta tiles that are set in plaster to create symmetrical ornamental surface coverings in Berber and Hispano Moorish buildings. The patterns created by the artisans are infinite ranging from the popular octagon through star and cross shapes that are combined to create rich decorations on walls, floors, pool and fountains as well as tables and ceilings. Geometric designs in plaster, tiles and calligraphy have fascinated Islamic artists since the birth of Islam. Figurative representations of God or any of the profits of Islam meant that Islamic artists gave expression to the infinite wisdom of God through complex geometric patterns. The complex Mathematics of girih tilings that adorn the Topkapi Palace and other great Islamic buildings like the Tomb of Hafez in Iran are testament to the great skill and craftsmanship of Islamic artists that are still baffling mathematicians today. Zillij was introduced to the imperial buildings of Morocco and Spain at the beginning in the mid-llth century by the Almoravid rulers. It was not until the Marinid dynasty, of Zenata Berber descent that ruled Morocco from the 13th to the 15th century, that zillinge was popularised both in the Magreb and Al-Andalus as can be seen in the Alhambra Palace. The centres of zillinge tile production are Fes and Meknes and at the beginning of the 13th century, a survey of the city ordered by the Almohad ruler al-Nasir Muhammad (1199-1213) counted 188 ceramic workshops in Fez alone. Zillinge is considered to be an art in itself and the Maalems (master craftsmen) learn the craft of zillinge from childhood and have passed on the skill for generations. 10 cm (4”) mother tiles are cut using a radius gauge, which gives the precision necessary to create the very precise geometric shapes, to create the furmah which are set into white plaster to form a geometric puzzle of great richness. There are 360 fumah shapes such as chevrons, triangles, hexagons, lozenges and diamonds. A meter square (39”) panel containing a 24 point star require about 5000 fumah. The zlayjis of Morocco see their craft as part of the spiritual world of Islam. Thousand of fumah come together to create a perfection that in never ending in its possibilities just as Gods universe is. Rashidi, a young fraash from Fez remarked "Stars are the idealised shapes among all of God's works. Their symmetry is perfect and their spacing is precise. Such perfection is not reached by creating them piece by piece” which indicated his belief that God’s infinite wisdom is made up of all the minutiae of the universe that surrounds us. The intricacy of Islamic art is overwhelming in the great mosques and palaces of the Islamic world. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free photos or as photo art prints.

(updated 2021) Pictures, images & photos of the iconic Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii ) or Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey. Built from 1609 to 1616 commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I when he was 19. the Blue Mosque draws the inspiration for its design from Hagia Sophia that stands opposite it. The design of the Blue Mosque is a high point of the classical period being a fusion of Ottoman & Byzantine elements. It was designed by Mehmet Aga, its second architect as the first was executed because his skills were found wanting. Normally mosques have a maximum of 4 minarets, the exception being the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the focal point of the Islamic world. It shows grand designs of Sultan Ahmet that the Blue Mosque was controversially designed with 6 minarets also. The sixth minaret of the Blue Mosque though was built when Sultan Ahmet built a seventh minaret on the mosque in Mecca. The high central dome of the Mosque is surrounded by 8 smaller domes creating cascading tiers running down to a central courtyard, the biggest of any Ottoman mosque. The interior of the mosque is lined with 20,000 Iznik tiles with more than 50 tulip designs as well as fruit, flowers & cypresses. Over 250 stained glass windows with intricate designs light the interior. Sultan Ahmet lived long enough to see the splendour of the Blue Mosque and his Mausoleum is just outside the walls. Add photos of Istanbul using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/blue-mosque-istanbul.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Photos of Ksar el fida. Ksar el fida is situated at about 4 km on the north east of Rissani its the most important and at same time the most ancient of the alaouite ksars in the Tafilalet however. Its worth mentioning that the genesis of the ksar dates back to the reign of king moulay Ismail to house his son king moulay abdallah, but the ksar was reduced to rubbles and ruined except for the high outside walls and the tours which were built of muddy earth. The ksar was rebuilt under the reign of moulay Abd Al Rahman but this time at about eight hundred meters at south east of the first site. Ever since the ksar had preponderant roles in directing the policy of region and at times its served As residential palace of the Khalifa or Caid of the Tafilalet and this up to 1965. Henceforth the ksar was a Makhzanean domain and is still an architectural patrimony. The Ksar is being heavily restored to its former glory and contains some fine examples of Berber Arabesque plasterwork. Although Ksar Fida is worth a visit when passing Rissani it is not worth a great detour unless you are a big fan of Berber history. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

(updated 2021) Pictures Images photos of Harran Turkey. Photos of the beehive adobe buildings and images of the archaelogical site of Harran. Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Alt?nba?ak, Turkey, 24 miles (44 kilometers) southeast of ?anl?urfa. The location is in a district of ?anl?urfa Province that is also named "Harran". The earliest records of Harran come from the Ebla tablets (c. 2300 BCE). From these, it is known that an early king or mayor of Harran had married an Eblaite princess, Zugalum, who then became "queen of Harran", and whose name appears in a number of documents. It appears that Harran remained a part of the regional Eblaite kingdom for some time thereafter. Biblical Haran was where Terah, his son Abram (Abraham), his grandson Lot, and Abram's wife Sarai settled while in route to Canaan, coming from Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:26-32). The region of this Haran is referred to variously as Paddan Aram and Aram Naharaim. Genesis 27:43 makes Haran the home of Laban and connects it with Isaac and Jacob: it was the home of Isaac's wife Rebekah, and their son Jacob spent twenty years in Haran working for his uncle Laban (cf. Genesis 31:38&41). During the late 8th and 9th centuries Harran was a centre for translating works of astronomy, philosophy, natural sciences, and medicine from Greek to Syriac by Assyrians, and thence to Arabic, bringing the knowledge of the classical world to the emerging Arabic-speaking civilization in the south. Baghdad came to this work later than Harran. Many important scholars of natural science, astronomy, and medicine originate from Harran; they were non-Arab and non-Islamic ethnic Assyrians, including possibly the alchemist Jibir ibn Hayyn. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. Add photos of Harran using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/harran.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of picturesque Hasankeyf & its mosques & ruins Turkey before the Tigris Dam was built . Hasankeyf is citadel on high cliffs above the River Tigris. The Romans had built the Cephe fortress on the site and the city became the Kiphas fortress and a bishopric under the Byzantine Empire. It was conquered by the Arabs, in ca. 640, renamed Hisn Kayf. In the 12th century, the city was successively captured by the Artukids as their capital. During this period, Hasankeyf's golden age, the Artukids and Ayyubids built the Old Tigris Bridge, the Small Palace and the Great Palace. The infrastructure, location and significance of the city helped increase trade and made Hasankeyf a staging post on the Silk Road. The Ayyubids (descendants of Saladin) captured the city in 1232 and built the mosques that made Hasankeyf an important Islamic center. The city was captured and sacked by the Mongols in 1260. The city would rise from its ashes though as summer homes for Ak Koyunlu emirs were built. Following the Ottoman ascendancy established by Selim I in the region in the early 16th century, the city became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1515, during Sultan Süleyman I's campaign of Irakeyn The threat of the Ilisu Dam project prompted the World Monuments Fund to list the city on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world . Add photos of Hasankeyf using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/hasankeyf-turkey.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasankeyf Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

(updated 2021) Pictures & Images of the Ishak Pasha Palace (Ishak Paşa Sarayı) the semi-ruined palace and administrative complex located in the Do?ubeyaz?t eastern Turkey. The Ishak Pasha palace is an Ottoman-period palace whose construction was started in 1685 by Colak Abdi Pasha, the bey of Beyazit province. According to the inscription on its door, the Harem Section of the palace was completed by his grandson Ishak (Isaac) Pasha in 1784. The Palace is more of a complex than a palace; it is the second administrative campus after the Topkap? Palace in Istanbul and the most famous of the palaces built in recent decades. It was the last large monumental structure in the Ottoman Empire from the "Lale Devri" period. It is one of the most distinguished and magnificent examples of the 18th century Ottoman architecture and is very valuable in terms of art history. The ?shak Pasha Palace is a rare example of the historical Turkish palaces. Add photos of Ishak Pasha Palace Turkey using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/ishak-pasha-palace-turkey.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishak_Pasha_Palace Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

(updated 2021) Pictures, images & photos of Istanbul and the historic buildings of the Roman Byzantine Constantinople. Istanbul is one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It literally straddles the East West divide of the Bosphorus with its western bank in Europe and its Eastern bank in Asia. Originally the Greek city of Byzantium, the strategic importance of its peninsula was recognised by Emperor Constantine who made it into the Imperial City of the Roman Empire in AD 330. The peninsular overlooks the southern entrance to the Bosphorus and with a natural habour, the Golden Horn, was the perfect site to control Trade from the East to the West. This new city was also a Christian city and Constantine built the first great churches of the Roman Empire. After Fall of The Roman Empire in the 5th century Constantinople became known as Byzantine after the Greek city of Byzantium. The Emperors of Constantinople would not have understood themselves as Byzantine as they were Emperors of The Roman Empire and remained so until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Even Constantinople became fabulously rich and powerful and therefore a target for conquest. The massive land walls that protected the peninsular and its sea walls made it impregnable to many attempts to take it by force. It did though fall in 1204 to the stealth of the Venetian Dodge Enrico Dandolo when he diverted the 4th Crusade to Constantinople to help "protect" it from the Islamic onslaught that had conquered most of Asia Minor. The taking of Constantinople led to a 3 day sack of the city during which time the Venetians loaded all of its treasures onto their ships and sailed off to Venice. Even though the Byzantine Roman Emperors retook Constantinople it never regained its glory and went into slow decline. In 1453 it finally fell to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II . Little remains of Constantinople but buildings like the Hagia Sophia, built by Emperor Theodosius II and inaugurated it on 10 October 415, give an idea of the heights of sophistication the Roman Empire had reached. It would be a thousand years before a bigger dome was built than that of Hagia Sophia. The Ottomans have endowed Istanbul with splendid mosques & palaces which fused the mystique of Eastern architecture with that of the west which along with its famous Bazaars make Istanbul one of the most colourful cities in the world. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. Add photos of Istanbul using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/istanbul.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Pictures, images & photos of Iznik glazed ceramic Arabesque Ottoman tiles. Iznik was famous for its highly decorated ceramic pottery from the 15th century to the end of the 17th century. Suleyman the magnificent and his wife Hurrem (Roxelana) became big fans of Iznik ceramics and used Iznik tiles to decorate their palace, mosques and building that they built. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, contains over 20,000 Iznik tiles to adorn its interior. The famous Harem of the Topcapi Palace is lavishly decorated with Iznik Arabesque designs. The combination of panels of different tile designs in the same rooms make for a spectacular display. Iznik tile designs sum up the Ottoman styles and tastes in a vivid way. Download pictures & images of Iznik tiles or buy as photo art prints. Add photos of Islamic Iznik Tiles using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/islamic-art-antiquity.html Type - Iznik - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box to refine search by adding background colour, place, museum etc USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iznik_pottery Visit our ISLAMIC ART & HISTORICAL SITES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Islam-Islamic-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000WMzJTSRGkTw

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of Konya, the Mevlana Mausaleum & Konya archaeological museum antiquities, Turkey. Konya is a holy Islamic city where the Persian Sufi poet & ascetic Mevlana or Rumi lived and is buried. Mevlana was "not a prophet -- but surely, he has brought a scripture". He believed in the use of music, poetry and dance as a path for reaching God which allowed devotees to focus their whole being on the divine. Dervishes are Sufi Muslim ascetics and the Mevlevi order of Dervishes in Konya developed under Melvana's teachings. It was Mevlanas belief in dance and music that created the whirling Dervish as a form of devotion. Following his death, his followers and his son Sultan Walad founded the Mevlevi Order, also known as the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, famous for its Sufi dance known as the Sama ceremony. In the 1920's when the modern Turkish state was formed under the rule of Ataturk, Dervish's were banned as part of the Ataturks move to make Turkey a secular country. The Mausaloeum of Mevlana was made into a museum where his sarcophagus and those of his family are a major shrine for Islamic pilgrims. Konya archaeological museum has a small but important collection of archaeological finds from Catalhoyuk prehistoric settlement as well as Bronze Age sites of the region. The museum also has an important collection of Asian style Roman sarcophagi including column and garland sarcophagi. Download pictures & images of Konya, the Mevlana Mausaleum & Konya archaeological museum antiquities or buy as photo art prints. Add photos of Konya and Mevlana Mauseleum using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/konya.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konya Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Photos pictures images of Marrakech or Marrakech the iconic Berber town in North West Morocco. In the 1960’s Hippies swarmed to Marrakech for the cheap living, wonderful climate and Kif or hashish a processed cannabis (marijuana) grown in the Riff mountains. Jemaa el-Fnaa is one of the most famous squares in Africa and lies at the heart of Marrakesh both literally and culturally. Marrakesh was one of Morocco’s four former Imperial cities and lay at the northern end of a great trading route that stretched over the High Atlas mountains and through the Sahara to Mali. Jemaa el-Fnaa was the focus of the camel trains and from early history people traded in the square. After trading the square became a centre of entertainment as it is still today. Food stalls fed the hungry travellers and snake charmers, magicians, musicians, story tellers and entertainers put on similar performances that continue today. The dentists have gone but one lone stall still exhibits dentures and teeth that were once extracted in the square. Although the Jemaa el-Fnaa is a focus for theorists who are hounded into paying to photograph the performers, there is still a Berber underlying culture in the square with story tells telling ancient stories to modern day Moroccans. The cultural life of the square has been seen to be so important that UNESCO added the square to its heritage list. As would be expected the souks in Marakesh are extensive selling and incredible array of goods. Traditionally souks are divided into areas selling the same sort of goods so there are areas selling carpets, leather goods, spices, baskets and the list is endless. Marrakesh has a rich Berber heritage as can be seen in its Berber Arabesque buildings. On the eastern side of the Kasbah is the Bahia Palace. Built by Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in 1578, the Bahia Palace is richly decorated with Berber arabesque plasterwork and Berber zellige tiles. The zellige tiles run around the lower part of the wall and are a mosaic of small tiles that are arranged to produce colourful geometric designs. Above this is the Berber Mocarabe plasterwork with its swirling geometric designs and islamic Koranic texts. The roofs are covered with Berber wood panels decorated with more colourful designs. The overall effect is overwhelming and was guaranteed to impress even the most illustrious visitor. A more harmonious use of Berber plater work and selling tiles can be seen at the Ben Youssef Madrasa, which was the best was an Islamic college in Morocco and housed as many as 900 students. The walls of the two story central courtyard are covered with geometric Berber Mocarabe plasterwork. The Saadian tombs date back to sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, the Saadi Dynasty ruler who lived from 1578-1603. Ahmad al-Mansur and his family are buried in the Saadian tombs which are richly decorated with Berber plasterwork. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Photos and images of the great historic Moorish monuments of Meknes in northern Morocco. Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became a capital under Sultan Moulay Ismaïl (1672–1727), the founder of the Alawite dynasty. The sultan turned it into a impressive city in Spanish-Moorish style, surrounded by high walls with great doors, where the harmonious blending of the Islamic and European styles of the 17th century Maghreb are still evident today. Nicknamed the city of Hundreds of Minarets, Meknes the city also had a large prison to house Christian sailors captured on the sea, and also constructed numerous edifices, gardens, monumental gates. Moulay Ismail is also known as a fearsome ruler and used at least 25,000 slaves for the construction of his capital. His Christian slaves were often used as bargaining counters with the European powers, selling them back their captured subjects for inflated sums or for rich gifts. Most of his slaves were obtained by Barbary pirates in raids on Western Europe. Over 150,000 men from sub-Saharan Africa served in his elite Black Guard. By the time of Ismail's death, the guard had grown tenfold, the largest in Moroccan history. Appropriately Sultan Moulay Ismaïl has a large Arabesque mausoleum in Meknes which has became a sight of pilgrimage for the Islamic faithful. The Historic City of Meknes has exerted a considerable influence on the development of the civil and military architecture (the kasbah) and works of art. Founded in 1061 A.D. by the Almoravids as a military stronghold, its name originates from the great Berber tribe Meknassa who dominated eastern Morocco as far back as the Tafilalet in the 8th century. Geographically, it is remarkably located in the Saïss Plain between the Middle Atlas and the pre-rifan massif of Zerhoun. It contains the vestiges of the Medina that bears witness to ancient socio-economic fabric and the imperial city created by the Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727). The Medina and the Kasbah are two ensembles fortified by impressive ramparts that ensure protection. They contain all the elements that bear witness to the Outstanding Universal Value (fortifications, urban fabric, earthen architecture, civil, military and cult buildings and gardens).  The Medina constitutes a compact and overcrowded ensemble while the Kasbah comprises vast open areas.  The imperial city is differentiated from the Medina by its long corridors between high blind walls. Meknes is still a bustling Moroccan city with many great historic Moorish monuments that have led it to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Pictures, photos & Images of the above mud brick Berber Kasbah Taourirt, Ouarzazate, Morocco. Ouarzazate is an ancient city just to the south of the High Atlas mountains in central Morocco. It stands on a high desolate plateau guarding the entrance of the Ziz gorge, one of the main camel traders routes north across the Atlas mountains. Its position gained it the nickname “The door of the desert” and the name suits its dramatic adobe brick construction and Berber architecture of the famous Kasbah Taourirt of Ouarzazate very well. The Kasbah Taourirt is a stunning example of Berber architecture. Taourirt was one of the many Glaoui family strongholds and is one of the most beautiful Kasbah left standing in Morocco. The Glaoui family created a dynasty of powerful Lords who controlled the main camel route to Marrakech amassing a vast fortune from taxes levied on the goods that passed through their territories. Download pictures & images of Kasbah Taourirt or buy as photo art prints on line. Visit our ISLAMIC ART & HISTORICAL SITES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Islam-Islamic-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000WMzJTSRGkTw

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of the Ottoman Turkish architecture of Safranbolu, Turkey. Safranbolu derives its name from the Saffron the city traded had 3 caravanserais, overnight stopping places for camel caravan trains. Conquered during the Turkish expansion into Anatolia in the 11th century, the town still has many Ottoman Turkish style buildings. The town is one of the most complete from this era possibly due to the continuing importance of the Saffron trade in the area. The half timbered Ottoman style houses sit high on windowless stables rooms. Each mansion had a male and female (harem) area and were well insulated. They are characterised by their overhanging eves and rooms that jut out from the building supported by wooden braces. The caravan trade of the Silk Route reached its peak in the 16th century before its eventual demise to shipping. The importance of the architecture of Safranbolu has been recognised and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints. Add photos of Safranbolu using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/safranbolu.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safranbolu Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of the Buruciye Madrasah, Gök Medrese & Sifaiye Medrese seljuk buildings of Sivas, Turkey. Situated in central Turkey on the main trading routes from Iran and Iraq, Sivas has some of Anatolia’s most important Seljuk architecture. The Buruciye Madrasah is one of the most famous structures of Sivas and Anatolia with its magnificent crown gate. built by Dr. Muzaffer Burucerdî from Burucerd near Hamedan (Iran) to teach physics, chemistry and astronomy. The Buruciye Madrasah entrance door of the yellowish stones and the interior facade of the courtyard are among the finest examples of Seljuk stone carving. It has a rectangular plan close to the square and consists of columnar porticoes around the open courtyard and the cells behind them. Gök Medrese is one of the most famous works of the Seljuks. Located in the centre of Sivas. Built in 1271 by Vizier Ata Faahreddin Ali, the Gok Medrese is still a masterpiece of Seljuk architecture after 742 years. The marble crown gate of Gok Medrese has a very rich decorative appearance. Its islamic Muqarnas corbeled vault is made up of a large number of miniature squinches, producing a sort of cellular structure. The crown gate of Gök Medrese is one of the best examples of Seljuk architecture in Anatolia. Add photos of Sivas using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/sivas-turkey.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivas Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Photos, pictures and images of the Alcazar of Seville, Spain. Seville was ounded as the Roman city of Hispalis it fell to to Muslin conquest of the Iberian Penninsular in 712. Seville came under the rule of the Caliphate of Cordoba and from the 8th to the 13th century was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate followed by the Almoravid then Almohad dynasty. 500 years of Islamic rule has left Seville with a rich architectural heritage and the Alcazar of Seville is one of the great buildings that shows the influence of Islamic culture on Spanish architecture. The original nucleus of the Alcázar was constructed in the 10th century as the palace of the Moslem governor, and is used even today as the Spanish royal family's residence in this city, thereby retaining the same purpose for which it was originally intended: as a residence of monarchs and heads of state. The Alcazar of Seville has pure arabesque architecture as well as parts of the palace that are Gothic and from the Renaissance. Seville is a reminder of the sophistication of the Islamic rulers that once governed the Hispanic Penninsular. The mathematic genius of the Islamic architects can be seem in the intricate plasterwork in the Alcazar and the palace is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. Built and rebuilt from the early Middle Ages right up to our times, it consists of a group of palatial buildings and extensive gardens. The Alcázar embraces a rare compendium of cultures where areas of the original Almohad palace - such as the "Patio del Yeso" or the "Jardines del Crucero" - coexist with the Palacio de Pedro I representing Spanish Mudejar art, together with other constructions displaying every cultural style from the Renaissance to the Neoclassical. The Alcázar and its gardens is a palatial fortress erected beginning in 712 by the conquering Arabs to control the Guadalquivir. It boasts a crenellated enclosure from the Almohad period as well as several interior spaces dating from before the Reconquest. After 1248 it became a royal residence and was renovated under the reign of Peter the Cruel. The palace constructed in the interior of the Alcázar in 1364-66 illustrates the syncretism proper to Mudejar art which borrows its techniques and decorative expression from the Arabian art of Andalusia. The Patio de las Doncellas is evocative of a captivating aesthetic which survived Christianization with its finely worked stuccos, wooden artesonados ceilings, the azulejos of the galleries, and the fountain that rises in the middle of the courtyard. The work of decoration of the apartments, the fountains or the pavilions undertaken between the 15th and 17th centuries, partially respected the original palace, its general layout, and the traditional refinement of an Andalusian palace. Download photos, pictures and images of Seville as stock photos or photo art prints.

Kasbah Telouet photos, pictures and Images. High in the Atlas Mountains at 1800 meters (5900 ft) is the Kasbah Telouet. It straddles a pass that was the main caravan route across the Atlas Mountains from the Sahara to the markets at Marrakech. Telouet was owned by the Gloui brothers, Thami and Madni, who became fabulously rich from the taxes they exacted from traders that came over the pass. The Gloui brothers were given the rights to control the pass by Sultan Moulay Hassan in gratitude for the help they showed him, and his 3000 strong army, when they became stranded by winter snows in the pass in 1893. The wealth the Gloui brothers amassed allowed them to build Telouet Kasbah which today is a crumbling ruin with only a few rooms that show the beauty of its Arabesque interior. When the French colonised Morocco the Gloui brothers cooperated with them and were rewarded with more power which increased their wealth to rival that of the Sultan. The kasbah Telouet is slowly being restored but it is possible to see fine examples of Berber Muqarnas Arabesque stalactite plaster work ceiling and Mocarabe Honeycomb work plaster columns and capitals in its inner courtyard. colourful Berber Zellige decorative tiles inside the Riad hint at the arabesque beauty the rest of Telouet would have been decorated with before it fell into ruins. Near Telouet is a small village that housed the workers that administered the Gloui's including a Jewish quarter for the Gloui financial administers. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Photos of Kasbah Tamedaght, Morocco. The Kasbah’s of Tamedaght sit in the middle of the Ounila valley north of Ait Ben Haddu. Tamedaght is a collection of Kasbah’s sitting on a bluff above the green swathe of palm trees that follow the river. Most of the Kasbah’s have been renovated and are luxury hotels but the old Kasbah owned by the Gloui family is still in ruins. The Gloui brothers Thami and Madni, who became fabulously rich from the taxes they exacted from traders that came past Tamedaght. They owned all the main Kasbahs that ran from the Sahara over the Atlas mountain pass north of Tamedaght to Marrakech, in this way they could extract taxes from the camel caravans that used the route in return for which the Gloui family gave protection along the route from the chain of Kasbah’s they owned. Tamedaght is very evocative situated in the stoney desert surrounded by desolate hills that reach up the the often snow capped peaks of the high Atlas mountains. The valley around Tamedaght and the pass beyond has been at the centre of Berber trade and history for centuries and would seen the great armies of the Sultans pass by. The Adobe Kasbah’s are typical of Berber design that can be found all along the Draa Valley influencing the architecture in Mali where many of the camel caravans came from with their precious goods. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

(updated 2021) Pictures images photos of the Topkapı Palace ( Topkapı Sarayı ) Istanbul, Turkey. In 1453 the army of Sultan Mehmed II took Constantinople and finished the Roman ( Byzantine ) Empire. In 1459 Sultan Mehmed began the construction of the Topkapi Palace as his residence. The Palace is really a small fortified town that at its height housed 4000 people and had its own mosques, parkland, hospital, bakery and mint. The Palace compound housed administrative buildings within its outer walls and situated at the very end of the promontory that overlooks the entrance to the Golden Horn harbour is the walled Palace that the Sultan inhabited. This part of the Palace has an outer courtyard in which is The Imperial Council (Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn) building where the ruling councillors held meetings with the Sultan and the Sultan met foreign dignitaries. The Inner courtyard houses the Harem for the women of the house and the private apartments of the Sultan and his library and mosque. The rooms of the Palace are decorated with arabesque patterned Iznik and Kütahya tiles. The Imperial Harem (Harem-i Hümayûn) occupied one of the sections of the private apartments of the sultan; it contained more than 400 rooms of which a few are open to the public today. The harem was home to the sultan's mother, the Valide Sultan; the concubines and wives of the sultan; and the rest of his family, including children; and their servants. The only man that was not a Eunuch who could enter the Harem was the Sultan. The Topkapi Palace was used by the Sultans until 1856 when they moved to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace that was built with the showy opulence of the late Baroque & Neo-classic styles of the time which contrasted with the restrained external architecture of the Topkapi Palace. Add photos of Topkapı Palace Istanbul using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/topkapi-palace-istanbul.html USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapı_Palace Visit our TURKEY PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/3f-Pictures-of-Turkey-Turkey-Photos-Images-Fotos/C0000U.hJWkZxAbg

Pictures, photos & images of Ksar Hedada or Hadada, Tunisia. The Berbers are a North African peoples whose civilisation stretched from Tunisia to the Atlantic Ocean in Morocco. For 500 years they ruled in Spain creating great Palaces like the Alhambra at Granada. Along the edge of the Sahara in Southern Tunisia around Tetouine Berber nomads built Ksour which are fortified villages individually known as Ksar. Ksar Hedada is typical of these Berber fortified villages. It consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create the 3 or 4 story high walls of Ksar Hedada. It is entered through a double wooden fortified gate. Ksar Hedada would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment to scale its 4 storey high walls was impossible. From Ksar Ksar Hedada the Berbers would have traded across the desert with their camel trains that would take several months to do the round journey returning with high value goods to trade for food that would be securely stored in the ghorfas of the Ksar. Keeping their food safe was important to the Berber peoples survival as in this region it may only rain once every 10 years and areas suitable for cultivation are severely limited to oasis dotted along the desert edge. The Berber nomads could head off on their great journeys across the Sahara knowing that when they returned their food supply would be safe in the Ksar. Summer resting camps would be set up around the Ksour as travel in the Sahara in July and August is too dangerous with the extreme heat. From Ksar Hedada the Sahara spreads away south for 1000 miles across and endless flat arid plain where it might only rain every 10 years. To live in such conditions the desert peoples had to adapt strategies for survival and the Ksar played a crucial part. Although the Berber Ksar has a very distinctive style, similar mud brick villages can be found in Mali and the Yemen showing that the desert peoples learnt from each other over great distances. The Ksour of Tunisia may look very familiar and there is a good reason for that. George Lucas recognised the evocative style of Ksour and used them as locations for his Star War movies. Ksar Hedada was the setting for the Slave Quarters Row of Mos Espa in Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, where Anakin Skywalker lived as a boy. With money generated from George Lucas part of Ksar Hedada has been restored into a hotel which can be booked by groups no doubt in search of a Star Wars experience. Download as royalty free photos. Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM

Pictures, photos & images of Ksar Ez Zahra, Tunisia. Ksar Ez Zahra is typical of the fortified villages built by the Berbers along the edge of the Sahara in Southern Tunisia around Tetouine. Ksar Ez Zahra consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create 3 or 4 story high walls of Ksar Ez Zahra. It is entered through a double wooden fortified gate and would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment to scale its 4 storey high walls was impossible. From Ksar Ez Zahra the Berbers would have traded across the desert using Camel trains that would take several months to do the round journey. The high value goods they returned with would be traded for food that would be securely stored in the ghorfas of the Ksar. Keeping their food safe was important to the Berber peoples survival of Ksar Ez Zahra as in this region it may only rain once every 10 years and areas suitable for cultivation are servetrely limited to oasis dotted along the desert edge. From Ksar Ez Zahra the Sahara spreads away south for 1000 miles across and endless flat arid plain where it might only rain every 10 years. To live in such conditions the desert peoples had to adapt strategies for survival and the Ksar played a crucial part. Although the Berber Ksar has a very distinctive style, similar mud brick villages can be found in Mali and the Yemen showing that the desert peoples learnt from each other over great distances. The Ksour of Tunisia may look very familiar and there is a good reason for that. George Lucas recognised the evocative style of Ksour and used them as locations for his Star War movies. Ksar Ez Zahra’s remoteness and proximity to the Libyan Border make it inaccessible to most tourists to Tunisia and is rarely visited. It is both land and time locked and the severity of desert life has seen its population dwindle. Buy Prints & Royalty free download images on line of Ksar Ez Zahra Tunisia Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM Visit our ISLAMIC ART & HISTORICAL SITES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Islam-Islamic-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000WMzJTSRGkTw

Pictures, photos & images of Ksar Ouled Soutane, Tunisia. Ksar Ouled Soutane is an old fortified granary and food storage complex that was essential for the nomadic Berber tribes that traded across the Sahara desert to assure that their food supplies were safe whilst they were away. The Berbers of North Africa were a sophisticated people that controlled Magreb, Morocco Algeria and Tunisia, as well as most of Spain at the height of their powers. Berbers were nomads and their camel trains that traded across the Sahara desert brought high value products north which brought them wealth and allowed them to build a civilisation of great power. There is an obvious problem of food supply if you are a nomad in the arid conditions of the Sahara desert. Goods could be traded for food along the coast but where would you keep it during the months it took to cross the Sahara and return. The Berbers evolved Ksour (plural of Ksar) or fortified villages to protect their food supplies whilst away. A Ksar consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create 3 or 4 story high walled Ksar. It would be entered through a wooden gate and would house a small mosque for nomads to pray at. Ksour would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment was impossible. Ksar Ouled Soutane is situated on a barren hill overlooking the beginning of the Northern Sahara, in the Tataouine district in southern Tunisia. From Ksar Ouled Soutane the Sahara spreads away south for 1000 miles across and endless flat arid plain where it might only rain every 10 years. To live in such conditions the desert peoples had to adapt strategies for survival and the Ksar played a crucial part. Although the Berber Ksar has a very distinctive style, similar mud brick villages can be found in Mali and the Yemen showing that the desert peoples learnt from each other over great distances. The Ksour of Tunisia may look very familiar and there is a good reason for that. George Lucas recognised the evocative style of Ksour and used them as locations for his Star War movies. Ksar Ouled Soutane was the setting for the Slave Quarters Row of Mos Espa in Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, where Anakin Skywalker lived as a boy. Although Star Wars has bought Ksar Ouled Soutane a steady trickle of Star Wars fans, its remoteness and proximity to the Libyan Border make it inaccessible to most tourists to Tunisia so Ksar Ouled Soutane is deserted, apart from a couple of resident guides, most of the time. Download as Royalty free photos Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM

Pictures, photos & images of Ksar El Mgubel, near Teouine, Tunisia. Ksar El Mgubel is a typical Ksar, a fortified village or granary, of southern Tunisia. These Ksour, plural of Ksar, run along the edge of the northern Sahara and were built as granary stores by the nomadic Berbers that plied their trade by bringing high value goods across the Sahara desert. For nomadic people living in the arid Sahara, with rainfalls that might be ten years apart and few oasis to grow crops in, the storing of enough food to keep you alive is difficult. The Berbers solved the problem by building Ksour. Ksar El Mgubel is typical of these Berber fortified villages. It consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create the 3 or 4 story high walls of Ksar Hedada. It is entered through a double wooden fortified gate. Ksar Hedada would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment to scale its 4 storey high walls was impossible. From Ksar El Mgubel the Berbers would have traded across the desert with their camel trains that would take several months to do the round journey returning with Keeping their food safe was important to the Berber peoples survival as in this region it may only rain once every 10 years and areas suitable for cultivation are severely limited to oasis dotted along the desert edge. From Ksour like Ksar El Mgubel the Berber nomads could head off on their great journeys across the Sahara knowing that when they returned their food supply would be safe in the Ksar. On their return they would trade high value goods for food that would replenish their securely stored food stocks in the ghorfas of the Ksar. Summer resting camps would be set up around the Ksour as travel in the Sahara in July and August is too dangerous with the extreme heat. Unlike many of the Ksour in southern Tunisia were made famous by their use as film sets in the Star Wars movies and were renovated, Ksar El Mgubel remains a deserted ruin. No tourists visit Ksar El Mgubel and local children use it as their play ground. Its faded beauty harks back to the days when Berber traders could make a living trading across the Sahara. Buy Prints & Royalty free download images on line of Ksar El Mguebl Tunisia. Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM Visit our ISLAMIC ART & HISTORICAL SITES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Islam-Islamic-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000WMzJTSRGkTw