The pavilion is divided into the new city (ville nouvelle) and the old city (Medina) by the Bab Boujouloud gate.
Bab Boujouloud Gate
The beautiful blue mosaic patterns that decorate the walls of the Bab Boujouloud Gate are truly awesome. (The original is in Fez, Morocco.) If you look carefully, you’ll notice that each pattern has a flaw. Muslims believe that only Allah can create perfection. Therefore, the slightly broken tiles were deliberately created and placed.
Interesting Fact: Islamic art also prohibits the portrayal of any living creature; so all the patterns have geometric designs.
The Koutoubia Minaret
The tall square-based prayer tower is a replica of the Koutoubia Minaret, the landmark of Marrakech.
The original prayer tower took almost 100 years to build and was completed by a sultan in the late 12th century. It is part of an Islamic mosque that is aligned with the holy city of Mecca (they always face east.) The bells that call people to prayer are at the top of the tower. The higher they are, the further their sound will carry.
Prayer is a very important aspect of Muslim life. People assemble at the mosque 5 times a day to pray: just before dawn, noon, afternoon, before sunset and night. (Cast members have their own place to pray on the site.)
The courtyard with the tangerine trees leads to the kasbah (walled citadel.)
The Chellah Minaret
"Morocco" also has a replica of the Chellah Minaret with a plaque that reads:
"This tower is a replica of the minaret at Chellah, a historical site located at the edge of Rabat, Morocco's capital. Founded by the Romans as a maritime station, Chellah was later reconstructed in the 14th century by the merenid sultans to become their necropolis and retreat."
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