Let there be light ! Origins of Moroccan Lights

Let there be light ! Origins of Moroccan Lights

Have you watched movies like 'Road to Marrakesh' or 'Casablanca' that evoked a mysterious romance and curiosity towards the Moroccan Culture? well frankly speaking it has happened to lots of Moroccan Decorations fans where The allure of the Moroccan Lights ,Furniture & fabrics shown in named movies and other TV shows lead many to recreate similar design patterns and style in their homes,despite of the effect of these movies and shows yet the roots of Moroccan style and interior goes far more than that in history as in fact it spread in Europe more than 200 years earlier with the rise of the Bohemian Style .


Origin of the Bohemians


for over 200 years Bohemian style has been a unique alternative to fashions presented in that given period , Bohemians, as a counterculture, emerged in France post the French Revolution. Deprived from the womb of the of Aristocratic regime where lots of artists were shadowed into poverty while wealthy clients supported specific arts and artisans as a result Many of the unfortunate artists took up a nomadic life style.

Bohemian style consists of soothing, colorful design patterns which was also known as boho chic, hippie style.bohemian style was classified uniquely as counterculture relying on creativity and indifference of the social structures and traditions.

Previously, those types of artists were seen as skilled and talented crafts men. But the Romantic Movement in the 18th century rejected this bourgeois life artistic group claiming a need to more imagination , that is when our new artists cult emerged to the surface with a heroic concept empowering individual style expressed merely in their outfit and adaptations of one way dress personality , these artists quickly became promoted as  special type of people, not only crafts men, a kind of authentic eccentric genius whose innovation was reflected on the way he lived and dressed. The artist himself (or herself) became a unique piece of art.
Painting Of Boho Girl in the 18th century

Painting Of Boho Girl in the 18th century


Moroccan Lamps and Moroccan Lanterns were believed to be introduced through this era as the trades between the Moroccan tribes "Amazigh" and the Spanish and French merchants was nourishing and even some writers referenced to the usage of Moroccan Lanterns and Moroccan Lighting Candle Stick during the rise of the french revolution itself however we believe that the spread of the Brass Light Fixtures and Pendant Lighting Lantern was probably afterwards when the french conquest of Morocco occurred in the mid of 1844, some people believed that bohemian culture originated in Bohemia and not France ( an area located in Eastern Europe and the Balkans ) and so they came to refer these artists and intellectuals with their unique new art as Bohemians , the word Gypsy was a European term for the romani people, basically for an ethnic group of people with Indian origins who had migrated from the north. however it is believed word "Gyps" is originated and driven from the word Egyptian, which was believed by the majority of historians to be the actual home of the nomadic people whom were neglected socially and lived away from the mainstream. Nowadays , the word "Gypsy" is considered offensive and derisive to the Romani .

Moroccan & Bohemian Life style evolved to become Becomes their Own Kind of Establishment , By the 1830's, the Bohemian art movement at France along with the Romantics as well embraced medieval and oriental clothing and decorative styles With its mesmerizing colorful fabrics and designs , Moroccan Poufs and Moroccan Lighting Fixtures has become more and more popular as well in that same era with their unique designs and soothing shades that fit in cohesive manner with the bohemian art attributes and European decoration style.


Lots of novelist inspired their writings from this uprising movement , novelist Henri Murger wrote stories about the cult he called Bohemians, focusing on a group of intellectuals & artists in threadbare coats, old shoes, loose outfits ,with general look of dishevelment. These writings inspired Puccinni's famous opera show "La Boheme"

La Boheme Opera Show

Poster Of La Boheme Opera 


Bohemian in its core rejected materialism & private ownership and centers on creativity & communal living.Bohemian style evolved into a cult of the individual, where the appearance of the person himself became a piece of art with carefully planned outfits and accessories along with a rainbow of colors that instill a delightful soothing effect into any viewer, nevertheless bohemian style has its own characteristics yet it also evolved in the 19th century to be involved not only in the outfits but in the Home interiors & landscaping , the French conquest to Morocco had some Pros in it as it transferred the mesmerizing Moroccan Decorations & Moroccan Light Fixtures designs to Europe where it met its match immediately with the bohemian art lovers where an instant cohesive bond formed between the Bohemian Style & the Moroccan Decorations to result in vast creative ideas for home furnishing & lightning


What makes Moroccan Designs so Unique?( a hub to different cultures )


Morocco is one of the oldest nations located on the northwest coast of Africa, bordered with the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Marrakesh and Casablanca are considered Two of its largest cities where authentic markets are spread.Numerous cultures & religions settled down in the lands of Morocco Over centuries Morocco was able to host significant diversified cultures all living and interacting together in perfect harmony , as a matter of fact each culture contributed to formulate a unique atmosphere for the country. Berbers, Romans,Spaniards,Arabs,French ,Portuguese,and even some people & tribes from sub-Saharan African countries have made from the Moroccan lands a home to them.That is why the Moroccan Decor interior design combines many of these diverse elements creating a distinctive unique design style.


Contributions to the Moroccan Design


Berbers, the indigenous or original people of Morocco, have lived there for more than 4,000 years. these Nomadic tribes moved along with their grazing herds of sheep skill. Berbers used to spun the wool from those sheep and wove rugs or "kilims" with different bright colors created form plant dyes -which were common back then- ,designs varied according to tribes segregating them from each other accordingly. Some Berbers had some other different interests in mining for silver and were quite skilled at working silver. Judaism and Christianity were the primary religions until the Arab conquest occurred in the 7th century, which led to significant conversions in terms of design,material and fabrics used.designs at this point started to reflect Islamic patterns with its curves either used in kilims or silver all was reflecting Islamic cultural influences.
Moors, people descent from the Arabs, introduced Islamic art traditions to Morocco with the 7th century conquests. One of the significant Islamic influence was the marquetry, or art of making wood inlay designs, which was welcomed by the Moroccans due to its beauty and authenticity and was adopted by many Moroccan in their wooden furniture pieces.


Moroccan Lamps & Lanterns

Moroccan Lamps - Moroccan Lanterns | Moroccan Light

Image from handmade Moroccan Lamps souk in Marrakesh


As ancient Romans influenced & inspired the ancient tribes of Morocco using ceramics and tile making, an important addition to the Moroccan Decorations was presented by the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic conquests which was the mystical engraved Lamps and lanterns with Moroccan enchanting designs Inspired by the ottomans in the 8th century. Moroccan artists were able to add their unique touch to the design patterns merging it with different cultural schools as well making from the Brass Lighting Fixtures variety of functional assemblies as well as decorative pieces.The Moroccan Lamps designs reflects various cultures that have occupied Morocco enabling a birth of a new design stream for the Pendant Light Clusters and other Moroccan Lighting items show casing Straight lines and hard edges which are Berber influences, while the rounded design patterns with beautiful curves are influenced by Islamic architecture and the ottoman design patterns .

France,Spain and Portugal all claimed Moroccan territories in different time zones ,each adding a little more variety to the Moroccan art and culture. as this been said France had the most long lasting effect as french is still the language of government and business, and till today many traditional Moroccan villages and towns have French-style neighborhoods. wood carving ,Music , while metalworking have been influenced by the Portuguese and the Spanish. some of the Musical influences were brought from Africa sub-Saharan enslaved people during the era of the slave trade where they were transported through the ports of Morocco .


Famous Moroccan Archway Design

Moroccan Archway - Moroccan Lamps | Moroccan Lanterns

pathway in a Souk on Fez Morocco

The architectural details in most Moroccan Interiors truly reflect the cultural diversification and influences of its people.Curved archways of Islamic cultural heritage take center stage implemented on doors and keyhole archway designs as well, some Interiors are brightly colored either through colorful walls and colorful fabrics or set against neutral walls with colorful fabrics or with a combination of colorful walls and colorful fabrics.variation in Colors makes it more vivid where you can find ocean blues, reds, or even bold colors of ottomans and ogees ,a rare rich mix in textures and influences from Europe Africa & Arabia all in one place What do these things have in common? well Moroccan design was able to dissolve different styles inspired from different cultures & represent them on its own significant style that contains best concepts from each culture.


What Is it about Moroccan Decorations that makes it so tempting ?


We decorate our homes differently in many ways and many styles that influences us or gives us a good vibes.yet have you ever visited a friends home full of colorful textiles, exotic and soothing Lighting Hanging from the ceiling ,low stuffed cushions and wooden tables with beautiful decorative carving? well you might have been looking at a pure example of Moroccan Decor & Boho Style.
Moroccan Decorations , furniture & Moroccan Lighting in fact is having a significant rise in the demand for its products making it one of the trending design lines.for some viewers it looks a little bit chaotic with its bright colors and various handmade items but in fact it provides an undeniable soothing atmosphere and a mood lifting feeling ,well similar to the effect of Boho Style ,Moroccan Decorations infuses the same genes of the Bohemian art which makes it universal and accepted by multi-cultural people


The country of Morocco has a truly unique location, exposure & history which enabled it to absorb the inputs of most old world cultures and re-produce them in its own style.
And note, you might see also Moroccan style Decor called souk style. where The name actually refers to a certain type of marketplace called "souk" found in North Africa and the Middle East. the word itself originates from the Arabic culture meaning Marketplace.


Moroccan Decorations has actually its uniqueness as Several cultures played a role in what we call Moroccan style today .starting from the desert people from Northern Africa who were merchants and warriors and tended toward colorful carpets and elaborate wood carving at the same time "the Berbers" , to the Moors, Arabs who conquered most of Africa, including Morocco, in the early 700s, spreading with them the religion of Islam and the Islamic culture and architectural school.
as a matter of fact The Moors played a huge role exposing Morocco to Europe after conquering the Iberian Peninsula, which is known today as Spain. This brought to Morocco the influx of Roman and Mediterranean influence where the Romans were the original rulers of the Iberian Peninsula prior to the Moors and the Arab arrival. later on in the early 20th century, Morocco became a French protectorate for a decent period of time allowing other European elements to enter the mix and infuse as well with the Moroccan culture.
Today this rich history full of events and infusing of different cultures resulted in the Moroccan design school & style, these fascinating mix of elements springing from a rich diverse history resulting in a distinct blend of color, form and pattern that influences architecture, interior designers and Boho decor lovers all over the world.


Simple Moroccan Bedroom Design

Simple Moroccan Bedroom Design

 

Pits and Pieces about Moroccan Decor and Furniture


1) Moroccan furniture has an informal style along with colorful patterns. It combines both natural materials like wood with bright colored fabrics featuring patterned surfaces along with handmade Brass Lighting Fixtures Other furniture pieces include ottomans style furniture and poufs. An ottoman style is a low, overstuffed cushion without back or arms and with short legs. Sometimes it's called also a hassock. It can serve multi-purposes either as a footrest, seat or table.Often you can find a storage space inside it. usage of Several ottomans pieces can form sectional parts of furniture utilized according to the space and landscape offered. A pouf is similar but it is slightly smaller and relevantly does not have legs. It usually fits one person and placed directly on the ground.

2) Moroccan sofas are usually low to ground , most Moroccan Style Couches and sofas are low to the ground, upholstered or covered with materials like velvet , wool or silk.They might have plenty of overstuffed pillows and cushions on them, perhaps even a bolster. ( bolster is a long, thick pillow used as a support, where you can find it sometimes placed under other pillows. Cushions designs can be round or edged with a decorative fringe.

3) Colorful fabrics & curtains are found in traditional Moroccan souk In additions to ready-made cushions and upholstery, rugs and other costumed decorative textiles are common. Textiles colors are usually coming in shades of purples, gold ,reds, green and blue green, you can also find balanced degrees by earth tones like reddish-orange terra cotta. professional interior designers always contrast them with mirrors, Moroccan Lanterns , Moroccan Lamps or Moroccan chandelier and other accessories with metallic finishes like bronze or brass.

4) Metal accessories and Brass Lighting Fixtures are common in Moroccan furniture where you can sometimes find them in general furniture styles like Modern , American Artisan Rustic or in Bohemian Style rooms, wall sconce are considered a perfect addition to the walls that act as a smooth side lighting while Moroccan Lanterns shines separately or as a group in the middle of the room , another option could be a Moroccan Lamp and both of styles of Lights Hanging From Ceiling will be chosen according to the furniture colors , texture and style the keyword here is to create a splendid contrast between the furniture type and the style of the Brass Lighting Fixtures which will eventually transform your home decor into a brilliant piece of art that not only shine with a divine beauty making your rooms more vivid and reflecting a soothing effect but adds a unique signature of yours with authentic handmade products and its exquisite taste that instills a feeling of joy into your guests and family members enabling you to truly spend a quality time surrounded with mesmerizing shades that reflects and compliment your home furniture & Decor.


Conclusion :


Enhancing your home decor can sometimes be a challenging task , however starting with enriching your visual content through surfing different catalogs and collections could be a good start where you can get a preliminary idea of how you want your room to look like ,according to the furniture style,fabrics colors and materials you can always complete their beauty with the right Lighting Fixtures , take your time and try to make it an enjoyable experience by sharing opinions with your family and beloved ones and after choosing the right furniture "Let there be Light " that not only fits to your home decor glowing with its mesmerizing shades of beauty making it more vivid but as well lightens up your mood and soul .






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