Moussem of Moulay Idriss II - Fez

Fez, the town of Moulay Idriss is located northeast of Meknes and is known for its white houses surrounding the mausoleum, which is considered a spiritual center with timeless charm. Moulay Idriss is a town and religious site in northern Morocco, making it a great option for those interested in Fez Day Trips (along with nearby Volubilis).

For many centuries, Fez has been a pilgrimage center, centered around the tomb of the city’s founder, Moulay Idriss el Akhbar, who was a descendant of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. The area around the tomb is enclosed by six-foot wooden bars, creating what is known as the ‘holy district’, which is off-limits to non-Muslims.

Moulay Idris II, born in 791, was the son and successor of Idris I. Idriss el Akhbar was a great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, from the lineage of Muhammad’s daughter Fatima and Muhammad’s cousin Ali.

Moulay Idris, The Founder of Fez

He went away just before his son Idris (II) was born in 791. Idris II officially assumed his position as ruler in 803 over the new Idrisid state. With the help of Arab immigrants, he gained independence from the Berber people and ruled Morocco and parts of eastern Algeria. His efforts to convert the mostly pagan Berber tribes to Islam and the support of many Arab Shiites loyal to the successors of the Prophet brought unity to the region, leading to the construction of the city of Fez.

Idris II is certainly responsible for relocating the capital of his state from Walili (formerly Volubilis) to what is now Fez, which he founded in 809. His successors followed his lead, and the city gained prestige with the establishment of institutions like the Qarawiyyin mosque/university in 859. Moulay Idris fled to Morocco from Damascus, where he was the heir to the caliphate, due to the civil war and Umayyad victory that led to the Shia-Sunni divide. He arrived in Morocco in 787 and founded Morocco’s first Arab Dynasty.

The Holiness of Moulay Idris

The Mausoleum includes a mosque, shrine, and school (madrasa), as well as a sanctuary where fruits and vegetables are offered as gifts for Moulay Idriss. The Mausoleum of Moulay Idris has made him the patron saint of the city of Fez, and his shrine is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Morocco. An important festival used to be held every year in the second week of August, open only to Muslims, and non-Muslims may not enter the mausoleum but can view it from above on the hill. Locally, it is believed that five pilgrimages to Moulay Idriss during the moussem are equivalent to one hajj to Mecca.