24 DOORS&HARDWARE £ NOVEMbEr 2012

oradoorhardware consultant, Morocco is a dream come true.

There are beautiful doors around every corner—tall

doors, tiny doors, wicket doors, intricately painted

doors, ancient doors that have been patched and

repaired every-which-way, and amazing old hardware,

from ornate surface bolts and pivots to rusty old locks

whose keys are long gone.

This summer I took my family to Morocco and

visited several sites of historic and architectural

significance. Of course there were beautiful elements

in addition to the doors: magnificent plasterwork,

intricate zellij mosaic patterns with the tightest of

tolerances, ornate cedar ceilings and trim, but I’m drawn to the

doors. I hope you enjoy my version of…

F

Photos Courtesy of Lori Greene, AHC/CDC, CCPR, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies

doors of

tthassanSliders–ThemausoleumisthefinalrestingplaceofKinghassanVandhistwosons,KinghassanIIandPrinceabdallah.Boththemausoleumandtheadjacentmosquehaveenormousbronzeslidingpocketdoorswithgeometricdesignsandraisedpoints.

thassanKnocker–Thelargedoorknockerspreventthedoorsfromslidingopencompletely.

Mohammed V Mausoleum, Rabat, Morocco

By Lori Greene, AHC/CDC, CCpr

About the Author: Lori Greene, AHC/CDC, CCPR is the Manager of Codes & Resources for Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. She can be reached at lori_greene@irco.com.

Tile Pattern Photo Credit: © iStockphoto.com/Azat Ayupov

Photo Credit: © iStockphoto.com

/Witold Ryka

Mosque of Hassan II with the tallest minaret of the world, Casablanca, Morocco.

NOVEMbEr 2012 £DOORS&HARDWARE 25

tBahiaTopPivot–Thisintricatelycarvedandpaintedtoppivotisacommondetailinthe19th-centurykasbahs.

tBahiawicket–oneofthesmallwicketdoorsinthecourtyard;thehingedesignincorporatesahand(hamsa),whichisacommonsymbolinMoroccoandisthoughttoprovideprotectionagainsttheevileye.

pBahiaCourtyardPair–Thepalacewasbuiltbetween1859and1900intwophases.Severalbeautifulpairsofdoorsleadfromthecentralcourtyardtotheinteriorofthepalace.Thispair,morethan12feettall,containsawicketdoorineachleaf,aswellasasmallerwicketdoorinthetophalfofeachofthelargerwicketdoors.

tBahiaLight–Lightstreamsintothecoolinteriorofthepalace;temperaturesexceeded100degreesoutinthemedina.

Bahia Palace, Marrakech, Morocco

Reprinted from the November 2012 issue of Doors and Hardware magazine. Copyright © 2012 by The Door and Hardware Institute. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. For more information on this and other DHI programs, contact: Door and Hardware Institute, 14150 Newbrook Drive, Suite 200, Chantilly, VA 20151-2223 • Phone (703) 222-2010, Fax (703)222-2410, www.dhi.org

26 DOORS&HARDWARE £ NOVEMbEr 2012

tGlaouiexterior–Thereareactuallythreekasbahsinthecomplex,buttwohavefallentoruin.Thethirdkasbahisprotectedbylargeandheavilystuddedwooddoors.

ppGlaouiKey–Thereisonekeytothemainentrancedoor,andIhadachancetotestitinthedeadbolt.

pGlaouiSurfaceBolt–withinthethirdkasbah,beautifullypainteddoorsandengravedhardwarereplacethesecuredoorsoftheexterior.

uMedersaentrance–ThisbuildingwasbuiltasaschooladjacenttotheGrandeMosquein1333andincludesacentralcourtyardwith“studentcells”onthesecondflooroverlookingthecourtyard.

qMedersaBar–Thein-swingingentrancedoorsarelockedwithabarthatispulledoutofaholeinthewall,spansthedoors,andisinsertedintoaholeintheoppositewall.

Medersa Abu al-Hassan, Salé, Morocco

Glaoui Kasbah, Telouet, Morocco

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tMosqueentrance–ThehassanIImosqueisoneofthelargestmosquesintheworldandcanaccommodate105,000worshipers—25,000insideand80,000onthesurroundinggrounds.Theentrancedoorsarereportedlymadeoftitaniumandweigh10tons.

qqMosqueTinyLites–hundredsoftinyglasslitesallowlighttoenterthemosquethroughthisentrance.

qMosquedetail–Throughthelites,theseaisvisible.

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco