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Visit of a remarkable cistern in El Jadida, one of the jewels of the Moroccan heritage, listed as World Heritage by Unesco.
The cistern is located on the main axis of the old medina, rue Khamed al-Ahchemi Bahbah. You can take a guide to visit it at the entrance, in which case the guide is paid by tips. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2004, this cistern was once an old armoury built in 1514. It is one of the jewels of Moroccan heritage. In the mid-16th century, it was transformed into a cistern to supply drinking water to the besieged medina. Water flows over the sloping ceilings of the cistern and through porous bricks, visible on the left-hand corner as you enter, filtering it. On the floor, lead joints make it impermeable. The cistern has never been touched up, apart from its central basin. The ceiling is pierced by a hole through which water was drawn. Today, this opening creates a shaft of light in the center of the cistern, creating a magical atmosphere of chiaroscuro in the volumes punctuated by columns. The palm-tree-shaped arches they support reflect off the surface of the water in a curious effect of symmetry, and the sun casts the moving reflections of the water onto the arches and columns. Orson Welles shot sequences from his film Othello in this surreal setting. To take full advantage of the optical play of light, the best time is late morning. There are also painting exhibitions in the old grain warehouse adjacent to the cistern. A visit not to be missed.
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Members' reviews on PORTUGUESE TANKER
la visite est payante et duure peu de temps, le lieu et magique, c'est une ancienne réserve d'eau on se croierait dans une ville souterraine et tout est propice à l'imagination le lieu la magie des reflets de l'eau et l'accoustique.
A faire car c'est unique