Moulay Idiriss and Meknes

Moulay Idiriss is the sacred village where faithful gather to pay homage to the great-grandson of Mohammed, who brought Islam to Morocco. The village is located on the top of a hill overlooking the plains of Volubilis.

Along the road to Moulay Idiriss.

In and around the streets of Moulay Idiriss and the medina.

Mural showing the Roman ruins of Volubilis on the plains outside the village.

Villagers will take their bread to the local village bakery to be baked. Each batch of bread is marked (stamped/imprinted) differently so each family know which bread is theirs.

The public bathhouse or Hammams are open to men and women at different times of the day. Young children go with their Mothers. As soon as boys know and understand the difference between men and women they must go with their Fathers.

From what I can gather the Romans where in Volubilis from about 25 BC until an earthquake in the 5th century which destroyed much of the city. The site was abandoned for about 150 years, and sometime in the 6th century was a largely Christian city. After this the city was occupied by Muslims. The site was inhabited be various factions and groups until sometime in the 11th century. The site was abandoned for a number of centuries and re-occupied again until the 14th century, until it was displaced by nearby Moulay Idiriss which is the most important pilgramage place in Morocco.

For more information, click HERE.

Next stop, Meknes for a 2 hour walk through the medina.

One of the places we stopped was a Co-op that specialised in in-laid silverware.

Next stop Fes……