Author
The mufti of Fez, Hajj al-Mubarak, ran the business in 1308 AH/1890 AD.
Author Original
قام مفتي فاس، الحاج المبارك، بإدارة الأعمال في عام هجري ميلادي
Publication Date
The Idrisid period (3rd-4th century AH / 9th-10th century AD); Marinid period (7th-9th century AH / 13th-14th century AD); Alawite period (11th - 15th century AH / 17th - 20th century AD)
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;ma;Mon01;20;ar
Library Location
Fez, old medina, Morocco
Date
The Idrisid period (3rd-4th century AH / 9th-10th century AD); Marinid period (7th-9th century AH / 13th-14th century AD); Alawite period (11th - 15th century AH / 17th - 20th century AD)
Notes
The mosque located in the heart of the city, which houses the tomb of Idris II, the founder of Fez and generally known as the Zaouia of Moulay Idriss, together with the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, constitute the most famous and most visited monument in the city. A network of alleys is arranged around it, connecting to markets, schools, and the gates of the city. The shrine forms part of an urban complex that includes: - Dar Al-Qaitoun, which is the first dwelling, inhabited by Mawla Idris, in the early beginnings of the construction of the city. - The Al-Ashraf Mosque, where the founder of the city led prayers. - The House of Ablution. This entire complex bore the name “Al-Haram”. This particular shrine constitutes a spacious and beautiful mosque, built during the founding of the city. The city, where Friday prayers are held (Jami Mosque). The building underwent numerous modifications, restorations and expansions, especially during the rule of the Marinids, Wattasids, Saadians and Alawites. In the 3rd century AH / 9th century AD, after the construction of the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and the transfer of the Friday sermon to it, the shrine lost part of its radiance. But the edifice would maintain its original plan, and its structural and architectural elements, until the 8th century AH / 14th century AD. In the year 707 AH / 1308 AD, during the rule of the Marinids, the Idrisid nobles, a descendant of Idris II, rebuilt it on the initiative of the Mufti of Fez, Hajj al-Mubarak. In the 9th century AH / 15th century AD, the Wattasids began restoration work on the mosque. In the year 841 AH / 1437 AD they discovered the coffin of Idris II, and the scholars and clerics of that era legally identified his venerable remains. Since the shrine of Mawla Idris had become a place of pilgrimage, a number of sultans worked to expand and decorate the shrine and the mosque. But the most important transformations did not occur before the rule of Sultan Mawla Ismail (1083 - 1140 AH / 1672 - 1727 AD). The Sultan equipped the building with a large, green, pyramid-shaped dome that contains the Idrisid grave, which is covered with a dome of carved wood, studded with copper and gold inlays, and surrounded by several columns of black and white marble. Mawla Ismail decorated the courtyard with a magnificent fountain. A large, beautiful, multi-colored minaret was also built, considered the tallest minaret in the entire ancient city. According to legend and historical accounts, the work was completed by volunteers. Later, the Sultan, Mawla Abd al-Rahman, paid special attention to the shrine, and built the new mosque with it in 1240 AH / 1824 AD, on the site of Shaqshaq’s house. The decorative history of the mosque is diverse, but it is mainly found on the interior; Outside, only some decorations are visible. On the central arch of the gate there is a well-coordinated inscription, with many bright and wavy colors that remind of the glory of God and His Prophet. The majority of the repairs, which the visitor can see, were carried out by King Mohammed V after the year 1956 AD.
Sample Text
Mohamed Mezzine “Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;ma;Mon01;20;ar
