> [!NOTE]+ Meta > Author:: [[Hamza El Fasiki]] > Reference:: Hamza El Fasiki "Sacred Space - Geometric Patterns in Moroccan Art" in Miller, S. (Ed.). (2023). Perspective: Selected essays on space in art and design. Vernon Press. > Date:: 2023 > Tags:: #warp #morocco > WeftLinks:: [[Spiritual value of craft]] > Claim:: [[Claim - Craft plays an important role in worship]] > [!SUMMARY] Summary > This text explores the unique design of sacred spaces in Moroccan art, focusing on geometric patterns and historical influences. Moroccan artisans have named and constructed spaces using intricate geometric designs that reflect cultural and spiritual significance. ### Highlights >Within the context of craft, God is the source of beauty and transmits ornament (zakhrafa) to people through masters (mu‘alim), artisans (sāni‘), and apprentices (muta‘alim) >In Morocco, ornament is referred to as zwāq (the act of beautifying a space).15 Zwāq is generally categorized as either beldi (local/traditional) or rūmi (imported/modern) and may be at-Tawrīq (arabesque based on leaves), at- Tashjīr (floral based on trees), at-Tasṭīr (geometric), or khat (cursive and/or kufic—angular—styles of Arabic calligraphy that visually convey religious or political messages >Looking at a circle, one cannot distinguish its beginning or end, just as Muslims do not know the beginning and the end of life since that knowledge is possessed only by God. The third step is qasma, the division of the circle, which symbolizes the divine act of dividing providence and destinies.