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Photography and Social Space at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat
Abstract
A young man pulled himself up a pillar before standing on its broad flat top. Turning to his two companions below, one with a cell phone poised for a photograph, he reached out his arm to appear as though he was holding the Tour Hassan at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V complex in Rabat. Designed by architect Vo Toan, the complex is located in the enclosure of an unfinished twelfth century mosque and is named after the resting place of the king under whose rule Morocco gained independence. The significance of the Mausoleum of Mohammed V complex in the creation, affirmation, and display of a national identity is suggested by design choices at the complex. Spatial practices of persons who visit the site also give it meaning or meanings. Though the Mausoleum is open to both Moroccan and non-Moroccan visitors, I am particularly interested in the Moroccans who use the esplanade and tomb structure to produce and establish personal and communal identities and bonds. Acts of photography are especially significant rituals through which this occurs today, and a topic less often explored in discourse on social space in Moroccan urban contexts, despite the widespread use of cell phones in this country. This paper is based upon research conducted while living and researching in downtown Rabat as a Centre Jacques Berque scholar.
Discipline
Art/Art History
Geographic Area
Morocco
Sub Area
19th-21st Centuries