A Medina Is the Old Walled Quarter of a North African City
Medina means city in Arabic. In North Africa it names the historic walled centre, and it is also a city in Saudi Arabia.
A medina is the old walled quarter of a North African city, with narrow winding streets and markets. The Arabic *madina* simply means city, and the name became a contrast term once French colonial administrations built modern quarters alongside the old ones. Several medinas, including those of Fez and Tunis, are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
- An old walled city quarter. *The medina of Fez.*
- Medina — the city in Saudi Arabia. *Mecca and Medina.*
- Souk — the market within it. *The souk in the medina.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | medina | The old medina. |
| Plural | medinas | Moroccan medinas. |
| Arabic | madina | Arabic *madina*. |
| Related | souk | A covered souk. |
| Related | kasbah | The kasbah walls. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The medina is closed to cars.Streets are too narrow.
- Fez has the largest car-free urban area in the world.Its medina.
- Medina simply means city.In Arabic.
Parts of a North African city
- Medina — the historic walled quarter
- Kasbah — the fortified citadel within or beside it
- Souk — the market area
- Riad — a house built around an internal courtyard
- Ville nouvelle — the modern quarter built alongside
From Arabic *madina*, a city. The Saudi city's full name means the city of the Prophet.
Why are medina streets so narrow?
They were laid out for pedestrians and pack animals, and narrowness provides shade and channels cooling air.
Medina or kasbah?
The medina is the whole old walled quarter. The kasbah is the fortified citadel, often on its highest point.