Villas and Courtyard Houses of Morocco
By Corinne Verner, with photographs by Cécile Tréal and Jean-Michel Ruiz
Thames & Hudson, £18.95
FT Bookshop price ££15.19

If ever there was a way of tempting first-time visitors to Morocco it would be through the seductive photographs in this 224-page softback.

From evocative panoramas of dusty city rooftops and intimate glimpses of lush, courtyard gardens to crisp, detailed shots of geometric, decorative tiles and intricate ironwork, this is a visual celebration of indigenous design and architecture that cinematically captures the historic and cultural diversity of living in this fascinating country.

The book is divided into seven chapters. The first two cover the traditions and design of Islamic homes – both interior and exterior – and give an idea of how the buildings and spaces are used. Three further chapters are devoted to the homes and gardens of three cities – Fes, Marrakech and Essaouira – while the final two explore the construction and heritage of the country’s kasbahs – an architectural style unique to north Africa.

The stunning photographs – 235 in all – never disappoint but the same can’t be said about the text, which, while highly informative, is written in an elaborate style that this reader found a little alienating. Still, there is plenty here to please the eye and inspire armchair travellers with their own decorative choices at home.