What is muxarabi? Understand and check out tips to use in decoration

It is very likely that you have already come across a hollow wooden panel, full of geometric shapes, dividing the living room of a decorated apartment or forming the facade of a contemporary house. This constructive element, which allows ventilation and cross lighting while guaranteeing the privacy of those inside, is called muxarabi.

Despite being a strong trend in the current architecture and interior design market, this style is not a modern novelty. To understand the history, function and correct application of this structure, CNN Brasil spoke with Andrea Braga, a researcher in history and architecture.

The expert begins by clarifying a common doubt about the pronunciation and grammar of the word: it is said "os muxarabis", with the stressed syllable at the end, without the need for a graphic accent.

Islamic origin and the rule of "seeing without being seen"
According to the expert, the etymology of the word derives from the Arabic term mashrabiya. Although the translation closest to the original meaning refers to "a place to drink" or "a place where containers of water are placed", architectural usage established the term as a window or balcony with a hollow latticework.

The structure emerged in medieval Islamic architecture, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. "Basically, it is a constructive closing element in which ventilation, lighting or insolation permeability is maintained", explains Andrea. The great social engineering behind the design is privacy: the geometric or lace lattices allow the property's occupants to "see without being seen".

The meeting of cultures and prohibition in Imperial Brazil
Muxarabi arrived in Brazil mainly due to the influence of Portuguese architecture, which absorbed the Moorish tradition after centuries of coexistence in the Iberian Peninsula. However, African Islamic immigrants (Arabs and Berbers) also made direct contributions, creating a rich mix of patterns.

What few know is that these hollow counters have already been prohibited by law in Brazil. In 1810, with the arrival of the imperial family, Dom João VI decreed the extinction of the Moorish balconies.

"The official justification was public safety, based on the fact that a governor of Pernambuco had been murdered by a shot fired through the cracks of a muxarabi. As a consequence, they were torn down and replaced with European shutters and windowpanes. However, historians point out that the ban was also a Eurocentrist effort to erase the Arab, Berber, African and indigenous heritage from the national landscape and force trade with England", explains Andrea.

Brazilian colonial architecture, however, produced rich hybrid solutions based on the same principle of filtering light and wind. In order not to make mistakes in the nomenclature, the researcher points out the differences:

- Muxarabi: element of Islamic origin, sophisticated, traditionally designed outside the facade as a balcony closed with wooden weaves.
- Gelosia: broad European term for any hollow closure (wood, concrete, metal) that partially restricts the view.
- Adufa: Portuguese-Brazilian version of a shutter or wooden lattice.
- Urupema: indigenous weave of plant fibers used as a sieve, which ended up inspiring hollow closures in buildings Brazilians.
- Cobogó: invention from Pernambuco from 1929. It is the industrial evolution of muxarabi. While the original is handcrafted and made of wood, the cobogó uses modular concrete or ceramic blocks.

Facade of a historic mansion in Diamantina, Minas Gerais, highlighting the balcony protected by a detailed wooden muxarabi. - IPHAN - National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute
How to use muxarabi in interior architecture
In contemporary residential practice, muxarabi acts as a delimiter of spaces that does not create heavy visual barriers. It compartmentalizes environments, controls solar incidence and expands the resident's sensory experience through the aesthetic play of light and shadow projected on surfaces.

"In compact properties, the solution is highly strategic. Sliding panels, sliding doors on tracks and articulated partitions delimit environments without blocking natural ventilation. The element can even be applied in the design of furniture, such as wardrobe doors, drawer fronts and racks, especially when integrated with internal lighting, creating the illusion of a light texture."

Materials and styles
The researcher also explains that, although wood is the classic material and offers the best visual comfort, the market has expanded construction possibilities:

- MDF: economical alternative for interiors, with a wide range of colors.
- Aluminum and PVC: moisture resistant, ideal for outdoor or wet areas.
- Corten or carbon steel: create a brutalist look, perfect for the industrial language.
- Natural fibers: bamboo, nautical rope or hexagonal straw guarantee the welcoming aspect of the boho or tropical style.
- Unusual materials: the Campana brothers, exponents of design nationwide, they even created sculptural muxarabis using pressed corrugated cardboard.

Common mistakes during installation
According to Andrea Braga, the most common mistakes when installing muxarabi begin with ignoring the climatic study of the terrain, positioning the hollow closure on facades with a direct incidence of heavy rain, which can flood the internal environment.

The expert also warns against choosing sensitive materials, such as wood or MDF, in areas with high exposure to continuous sun or excessive humidity, as well as fabrics with excessively closed designs, which nullify ventilation and block natural lighting.

Another mistake she points out is using highly ornate and elaborate patterns in very small rooms, generating heavy visual pollution. Finally, Andrea reinforces a fundamental technical point: "The muxarabi is exclusively a sealing element and does not have any structural support capacity", he concludes.

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Source: CNN