Haven’t you heard the tale of Moulay Idriss al Akbar? It is a story intricately woven into the very beginnings of Morocco’s Islamic state. Welcome to Mosqu\u00e9 IDRIS a place echoing with the legacy of a family that shaped a kingdom.
For Muslims, Moulay Idriss is Morocco’s holiest place. Some say that five visits here equal one trip to Mecca. So if one cannot travel to Mecca, this is a worthy alternative. The faithful gather at the tomb of Moulay Idriss. He was the great-grandson of Mohammed. He brought Islam to Morocco.
The story of Mosqu\u00e9 IDRIS is one of devotion. It is one of political upheaval and spiritual awakening. To truly understand this place you must first know about Idris ibn Abdallah.
By the second half of the 8th century Morocco was independent of the Umayyad Caliphate. This was due to Berber revolts. The Abbasid Caliphate didn’t have much control here either. Various Berber tribes controlled Morocco.
Idris ibn Abdallah traced his ancestry back to the Prophet Muhammad. After a battle near Mecca he fled to the Maghreb. The Awraba Berbers took him in and made him their leader. Idris I began asserting his authority. He worked to subjugate the Christian and Jewish tribes. In 789 he founded a settlement southeast of Volubilis. He called it Medinat Fas.
In 791 Idris I was poisoned. An Abbasid agent killed him. He left no male heir. However shortly after his death his wife bore him a son. This son was Idris II. Idris’s loyal companion Rashid brought up the boy. In 802 at the age of 11 Idris II was proclaimed leader.
Idris II weakened Awraba power. He welcomed Arab settlers. He appointed Arabs as his vizier and judge. He transformed himself from a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 into their sovereign. In 809 he moved his government from Volubilis to Fes. He founded a new settlement named Al-‘Aliya. Idris II developed the city of Fez. He welcomed Arab immigrants from Cordoba and Tunisia. This gave Fes a more Arab character.
When Idris II died in 828 the Idrisid state spanned from Algeria to southern Morocco. It had become the leading state of Morocco. The tombs of Idris I and Idris II became important religious complexes. People made pilgrimages to these sites. Prominent families in Fez traced their lineages to Idris I.
Today as you stand before Mosqu\u00e9 IDRIS remember the legacy of Moulay Idriss. Remember the founder of Morocco’s first Islamic state. Consider his descendants who shaped the spiritual landscape of this land. Feel the weight of history. Understand the enduring power of faith in this sacred space.