Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

Perched on the foothills of the Zerhoun massif, surrounded by olive groves, Moulay Idriss Zerhoun is considered Morocco's holiest town. Founded in the late 8th century by Idriss I, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who took refuge in the Maghreb after fleeing Baghdad, it houses the tomb of the sovereign assassinated around 791 — founder of the Idrisid dynasty, the first independent Muslim state in the country, and father of Idriss II, who would later found Fez.

Long closed to non-Muslims, the town has been open to visitors since the mid-20th century, although direct access to the mausoleum — rebuilt by Moulay Ismail in the 17th-18th centuries and topped with a green-tiled dome — remains reserved for Muslims. Non-Muslim visitors can admire its entrance and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the surrounding alleyways, lined with white houses and blue doors.

Every summer, the town hosts a major moussem that draws tens of thousands of pilgrims from across Morocco — locally nicknamed 'the poor man's pilgrimage.' From the town's terraces, the view extends to the nearby archaeological site of Volubilis. Moulay Idriss Zerhoun has been on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List since 1995.