{"product_id":"old-topographic-map-of-marrakesh-1918-medina-gates-jamaa-el-fna-bahia-palace-menara-gueliz","title":"Old Map of Marrakesh, 1918: Medina Gates, Jamaa El Fna, Bahia Palace, Menara, Gueliz","description":"\u003cp\u003eIssued under the archival title “BnF, département Cartes et plans, GE D-7427,” this official plan of Marrakech was produced in 1918 by the Service topographique du Maroc in Casablanca at the dawn of the French Protectorate. It is a quintessential city map, capturing the walled medina and its constellation of gates, squares, and thoroughfares with exacting topographic clarity while situating the city within the wide Haouz plain. The sheet distills a pivotal moment, when centuries-old urban fabric met the rational planning of a new regime. Its disciplined linework and lucid labels reveal both the enduring geometry of ramparts and gardens and the emerging arteries of administration and commerce—an invaluable portrait of Marrakech just after World War I, poised between tradition and modernity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of the plan lies the medina, a dense lattice of alleys anchored by the great theater of Jamaa El Fna and the palace complex of La Bahia. The map articulates the defensive choreography of the walls and gates—Bab Debbagh, Bab El Khemis, Bab Rhemat, Bab Jowkkala, and Bab Er Roob—each a hinge between artisanal quarters and caravan routes. The Mellah is distinctly delineated, attesting to Marrakech’s layered social topography, while venerable gardens frame the southern and western horizons: the Agdal, with its reservoirs and orchards, and La Menara, with its celebrated basin and groves. As a city map, it excels in translating the medina’s lived geography—market squares, processional axes, and craft districts—into a legible, navigable plan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEqually compelling is the counterpoint of the Nouvelle Ville, its gridded order stretching toward Gueliz and the modern road network. Broad, confidently named arteries—Boulevard de la Liberté, Boulevard Moulay Abdallah, Avenue de la Gare, and Rue Gueliz—announce the Protectorate’s urban program, while civic-minded toponyms such as Avenue de l’Université, Rue de l’École, and Rue de la Poste signal new institutions and services. The Route de Mogador extends the city’s reach toward the Atlantic, emblematic of an outward-facing commercial logic. Administrative precision is further underscored by the segmentation of the urban fabric into Secteur I through Secteur XI, a zoning lattice that contrasts sharply with the medina’s organic weave and makes this an especially revealing plan of early 20th-century urban governance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map also charts the technological frontier of its time: aviation. The Château de l’aviation, the Stade d’aviation, and Rue de l’aviation mark a nascent aerodrome complex, capturing the strategic calculations of a postwar era that prized speed, surveillance, and connection. Around the city’s periphery, named corridors such as Avenue d’Assas, Avenue des Princes, and Boulevard de la Paix, together with Rue du Palais, Rue de l’Hôpital, and Rue de la Rotonde, sketch a civic network fusing ceremony and service. Outlying localities—Targuia and the precincts of Sidi Youssef Ben Ali—are carefully placed, mapping the threshold where irrigated groves and villages yield to the expanding urban front.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreated by the Service topographique du Maroc—an office founded to support administrative and military planning—this plan marries rigorous survey technique with an almost literary sensitivity to place. Its precise topographic drafting, measured labeling, and methodical street nomenclature make it a primary source for understanding Marrakech’s evolution under the Protectorate: fortified gates controlling movement; sector boundaries encoding authority; boulevards channeling commerce toward rail and road; and gardens preserving dynastic memory. For historians, urbanists, and collectors, the map’s value lies in how it reads as both document and argument: a city of two tempos—the timeless medina and the engineered nouvelle ville—held in a single, lucid view.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStreets and roads on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvenue de la Gare\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoulevard de la Liberté\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoulevard Moulay Abdallah\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Agdal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Bab Debbagh\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Bab El Khemis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Bab Jowkkala\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Bab Rhemat\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Gueliz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue La Menara\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Nouvel Ville\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Sidi Youssef\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Ṭaḥṭī\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue Youssef Ben Ali\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue des Rêves\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvenue des Princes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue de l'aviation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvenue d'Assas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue des Augustins\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvenue de l'Opéra\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue de la Rotonde\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue du Palais\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoulevard de la Paix\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue de l'École\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvenue de l'Université\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue des Fleurs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue de la Poste\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvenue de la Liberté\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRue de l'Hôpital\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAgdal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBab Debbagh\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBab El Khemis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBab Rhemat\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBab Jowkkala\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBab Er Roob\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChâteau de l'aviation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJamaa El Fna\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLa Bahia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLa Menara\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMellah\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNouvelle Ville\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute de Mogador\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSecteur I to XI defined areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStade d'aviation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTarguia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn official early 20th-century map of Marrakech, published in 1918 by the Service topographique du Maroc (Casablanca).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated during the early French Protectorate, depicting the historic walled medina, gates, streets, squares, and surrounding landscape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMapmaker or publisher: Service topographique du Maroc, based in Casablanca.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInteresting context about the mapmaker: The Service was established to support administrative and military planning during the French Protectorate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign or style of the map: Utilizes precise topographic representation with clear labeling; rich in detail for administrative use, indicating its historical and military significance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical significance: This map offers valuable insights into Marrakech’s urban structure and landscape post-World War I, marking a period of transition and modernization under colonial rule.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":67687749190023,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":67687749222791,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":67687749255559,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":67687749288327,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":67687749321095,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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