ARCHITECTURAL RESTITUTION OF THE MUQARNAS DOME IN THE TINMEL MOSQUE

Muqarnas are sophisticated decorative elements of Islamic architectural art, particularly developed in Morocco and Andalusia. The earliest examples of muqarnas, belonging to the Moroccan-Andalusian style, adorn the domes of historic 12th-century Moroccan mosques such as Tinmel in the Moroccan High Atlas, Qaraouiyine in Fez and the Koutoubia in Marrakech. Our work attempts to propose variants for the restoration of the central dome of the Tinmel mosque, a veritable architectural masterpiece from the Almohad dynasty (1147-1269). This dome, beautifully decorated with muqarnas, has largely collapsed due to the neglect the mosque suffered after the fall of its builders. To achieve this, we first gathered all the architectural data on the work using lasergrammetry. We then drew inspiration from other contemporary cupolas to restore the missing muqarnas elements. These dome are governed by three essential assembly principles : symmetry, fragmentary dome construction and a traditional principle of juxtaposition (known as “Frem Kayaayet Aala Khoh”). Their application enabled the creation of a 3D model of the dome’s supposedly original state. However, restoration ethics dictate that at least three restoration variants be taken into consideration : i- restitution of the entire dome, i- conservation of only the existing muqarnas, iii- restitution of only those elements of the muqarnas that are deemed to meet the assembly principles.
Finally, it should be noted that the recent earthquake on September 8, 2023 almost completely destroyed the mosque, which was in the final stages of restoration. Consequently, the data acquired in this work will be of great importance in the future post-earthquake restoration process.