Moulay Idriss

Moulay Idriss is a holy city that is about a half hour drive from Meknes (double that by bus). It is the site of a shrine to a saint (or "Moulay") named Idriss who was the great grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and, in 787, brought Islam to Morocco. Moulay Idriss also founded Fes, moved the Moroccan capital from Marrakesh to Meknes, and founded a dynasty that ruled Morocco for almost 200 years. He was a busy guy.

Because Moulay Idriss is considered so holy, until the mid-1990s, non-Muslims were not allowed to spend the night in the town. Moroccans say that visiting Moulay Idriss five times is the equivalent of making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

When Charlie and I visited Moulay Idriss, we futilely searched its white-washed alleys for the path up to the viewpoint over the city. We kept asking locals passing by for directions and they would gesture in a general direction that gave us no clear explanation of which way to go when the alley forked. One young man we asked said he would take us there, even though it led him in completely the opposite direction to where he was walking when we met him. He seemed to not have anything better to do. He walked us all the way across town and up a very steep stepped path up to the overlook area. In Marrakesh, we had received such help before and our guides always expected payment. But not this young man. Such is the power of Moulay Idriss that people give freely without expecting anything in return.