Zawiya of Moulay Idris II
The Zawiya of Moulay Idris II is a zawiya in Fez, Morocco. It contains the tomb of Idris II, who ruled Morocco from 807 to 828 and is considered the main founder of the city of Fez. It is located in the heart of Fes el-Bali, the UNESCO-listed old medina of Fez, and is considered one of the holiest shrines in Morocco. The current building experienced a major reconstruction under Moulay Ismail in the early 18th century which gave the sanctuary its overall current form, including the minaret and the mausoleum chamber with its large pyramidal roof.
View of the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II.
The tomb of Idris II in the mausoleum
The zawiya, marked by its tall minaret, in the heart of Fes el-Bali
View from the courtyard towards the 18th-century minaret and, on the left, the window of the dar al-muwaqqit (chamber of the mosque's timekeeper). The window has a sculpted marble arch believed to be a Saadian spolia taken from Marrakesh and installed here by Sultan Moulay Isma'il.
A zawiya or zaouia is a building and institution associated with Sufis in the Islamic world. It can serve a variety of functions such a place of worship, school, monastery and/or mausoleum. In some regions the term is interchangeable with the term khanqah, which serves a similar purpose. In the Maghreb, the term is often used for a place where the founder of a Sufi order or a local saint or holy man lived and was buried. In the Maghreb the word can also be used to refer to the wider tariqa and its membership.
Zawiya of Sidi Qasim al-Jalizi in Tunis: view of the courtyard leading to the mausoleum chamber
Interior of the mausoleum of the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II in Fez, Morocco
Zawiya of Sidi Sahib in Kairouan (rebuilt in the 17th century)
Interior of the Green Mosque, an early 15th-century Ottoman zaviye in Bursa