Arts of Wood Carving

Woodworking craft centres are widespread across the kingdom, employing a variety of timbers including cedar, juniper, walnut, and lemon wood. The crafts associated with wood play a significant role in producing fuiture, doors, ceilings, and other architectural and decorative elements. This field encompasses several areas of expertise, including the khert technique for creating mashrabiya pattes, engraving (tbii), carving, and painting to decorate pieces. It also includes the art of tatiim inlaying, which uses seashells, metal wire, and lemon wood. Each of these disciplines is carried out by skilled craftsmen using specialised tools and follows a unique technical and aesthetic tradition. Moroccan craftsmen have preserved and passed down their woodcarving skills and expertise for generations. These skills have enabled the restoration of some of history’s most exquisite architectural masterpieces, including palaces, buildings, schools, and mosques. One notable example is the minbar of the Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakech, which dates back to the Almoravid era in 1137. Although nine centuries have passed since its creation, Moroccan craftsmen have played a pivotal role in restoring this exquisite artefact, blending their ancient knowledge with mode expertise.