Roofing in North Africa

North Africa, the Maghreb and Egypt, is dominated by flat roofs. Low rainfall, strong sun and limited timber favoured flat masonry roofs, roof terraces, domes and vaults, a tradition continued today in reinforced concrete.

Flat roofs and terraces

Flat roofs are characteristic of Egyptian and Arabian architecture, and in the medinas of the Maghreb houses are typically built around courtyards with flat roof terraces used for drying laundry, storage and sleeping in summer. In colonial Morocco, a 1914 building regulation required the roofs of all buildings in new districts to be flat.

Earth architecture

In the pre-Saharan valleys and oases, especially among Amazigh (Berber) communities, kasbahs and fortified villages (ksour) are typically made of rammed earth, with tall walls tapering toward the top. Their flat roofs are built of timber or palm-trunk joists, layers of reeds or palm fronds, and compacted earth, and need regular maintenance after rain.

Domes and vaults

Domes and barrel vaults of mud brick, fired brick or stone roof houses, tombs and mosques in parts of the region, notably in southern Tunisia and in Egypt, where the mud-brick Nubian vault originated. The Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy revived the Nubian vault in the 1940s at New Gourna near Luxor.

Timber roofs and ceilings

In Morocco, many mosques and mausoleums have sloped wood-frame ceilings (berchla), and larger residences have carved and painted wood-panel or reed ceilings. Moroccan cedar was the main timber for ceilings and other elements above eye level, with palm wood occasionally used.

Today

Reinforced concrete frame buildings with flat roofs waterproofed by bituminous membranes or coatings are the norm. Roof terraces remain in everyday use, and rooftop water tanks and satellite dishes are common features of the urban roofscape.

Climate

Intense sun and high roof temperatures, occasional torrential rain, and earthquakes in the Atlas and northern Algeria shape roof design.