Moulay Idris Mosque is one of the ancient mosques of Fez. This mosque was closed for a very long time to people of non-Muslim faith. Until 2005, only kafirs were allowed to sleep in the city at all. The holiness of Fez is explained quite simply - it was here that the country's most revered saint and the founder of the first Arab city in Morocco, Moulay Idris, was buried.
The Moulay Idris Mosque was built in the IX century. It is characterised by its simplicity and lack of decoration - such principles of architecture were adhered to at the time of its construction. The mosque is decorated with a high minaret, built at the end of the XIX century. The main feature of the minaret is its cylindrical shape, while all other minarets have the usual quadrangular cut. The green minaret is decorated with Arabic inscriptions all around its circumference. The minaret stands out very beautifully against the snow-white walls of the Moulay Idris Mosque.
Tourists of non-Muslim faith are not allowed inside the mosque, they can admire the beauty of the minaret and the mosque itself only from the outside. As the Sultan's mausoleum is located inside, access to it is also restricted.
If you are lucky, you can see the prayer courtyard through the ajar doors. The place is never empty. People come from all over the country to worship the Muslim saint. A special memorial plaque with a small hole was made in the wall of the mausoleum, into which Muslim believers put their hand to communicate with the soul of the saint. The water from the fountain in the mausoleum wall is said to have healing properties.
Walking around the Moulay Idris Mosque, tourists can admire the carved multi-coloured porticoes, magnificent wall tiles and carved decorations that adorn each door of the mosque.
