Courtyards
Zellige and fountains.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0 · Mohamed-Bachir Belaid — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Riad Salih — CC BY 4.0
The citadel and palace of the Zayyanid kings who ruled Tlemcen from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, enclosed by high walls in the heart of the city, the seat of government and centre of political and cultural life in the central Maghreb. The palace was restored, with large parts rebuilt, in 2011 when Tlemcen was named capital of Islamic culture, recovering its grandeur with courtyards clad in colourful zellige tiles, carved arches, fountains, gardens and decorated wooden ceilings in a style recalling the palaces of Andalusia. The citadel also holds the historic fourteenth-century Mechouar Mosque with its elegant minaret, and the palace hosts exhibitions on the history of the Zayyanid state and Tlemcen's traditional crafts such as weaving, copperwork and traditional dress. Entry is a token fee during the day, and the palace is close to the Great Mosque, so visitors combine them on one walk through the old town.
Zellige and fountains.
14th century.
Exhibitions.
El Mechouar citadel, central Tlemcen
The Zayyanid kings, rulers of Tlemcen from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century.
