The zāwiya in the Marinid period: the pious ruler and the revealing case of al-Nussāk (Salé, Morocco) ; La zāwiya en época meriní: el soberano piadoso y el caso revelador de al-Nussāk (Salé, Marruecos)

Abstract

The present work tries to approach the social, political and architectural dimension of an institution of great relevance for the history of the Maghreb, the zāwiya. This has largely been a hallmark of the religious life of the Islamic West since the Middle Ages and its physical manifestation, both in the urban and rural world, is remarkable. However, its study throughout the different historical periods is conflicting since, unlike other institutions, the concept has undergone an evolution and its current meaning cannot be extrapolated to past times. Thus, to better understand this aspect, an attempt has been made to define the idea of zāwiya in the Marinid era by means of two significant examples which were sponsored by sultán Abū ʻInān and described by his secretary al-Numayri. In fact, the second of them, located in Salé, is especially revealing, insofar as its archaeological remains have survived to this day. Although very devastated, these vestiges have allowed us to carry out an analysis with the aim of knowing its architectural configuration, the functions it housed and its relationship with the environment. ; El presente trabajo trata de aproximarse a la dimensión social, política y arquitectónica de una institución de gran relevancia para la historia del Magreb, la zāwiya. Esta ha determinado en gran medida la vida religiosa del Occidente islámico desde la Edad Media, de modo que su presencia es significativa tanto en el mundo urbano como el rural. Sin embargo, su estudio a lo largo de los distintos periodos históricos resulta conflictivo ya que, a diferencia de otras instituciones, el concepto ha experimentado una evolución y su significado actual no puede extrapolarse a tiempos pretéritos. Así, para comprender mejor este aspecto, se ha intentado definir la idea de zāwiya en la época meriní por medio de dos ejemplos que fueron emprendidos por el sultán Abū ʻInān y descritos por su secretario al-Numayrī. De hecho, el segundo de ellos, situado en Salé, resulta especialmente revelador, en tanto que sus ...