Moroccan riad Moroccan riad A riad () is a type of traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad originates from the Arabian term for garden, , ryad. The ancient Roman city of Volubilis provided a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the Idrisid Dynasty. When the Almoravids conquered Spain in the 11th century they sent Muslim, Christian and Jewish artisans from Spain to Morocco to work on monuments. The Riad is the Moroccan traditional house, normally with two or more stories around an Andalusian-style courtyard that contained a fountain. Riads were the stately
Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, Ottawa and office for the Aga Khan’s use during visits. Designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects in collaboration with the Pritzker Prize–winning architect Fumihiko Maki, the Ottawa Delegation is the first building in the world that will represent the Ismaili Imamat and its institutions. It is configured as an elongated, rectangular ring, surrounding an interior atrium and an exterior courtyard that features a traditional Chahr-bagh Islamic garden. The building rests on a solid linear granite podium, and is covered by a glass dome through which light illuminates the atrium and courtyard. The building as a whole is inspired by natural rock-crystal