Sidi Ben Salah Zawiya: History of the Shrine and Its Neighbourhood
The Sidi Ben Salah mosque and zawiya, in the north-east of the medina, is the only major Marinid monument still standing in Marrakech. According to an inscription, work on its minaret began in August 1321, and it is covered in brick lozenge patterns and polylobed arches set against turquoise-green tiles. It is named after Muhammad ben Salah, a local saint whom tradition remembers as a simple butcher gifted with foresight, buried in the north-west corner of the prayer hall. Behind the mosque stands a madrasa built around 1669-1671 by the Alaouite sultan Moulay Rachid. The inside of the mosque is reserved for Muslims: you visit from the outside, from the square and the lanes around it, in about half an hour. It pairs well with the Ben Youssef Madrasa and our guide to the north of the medina.
Highlights
The Marinid minaret
A square minaret, plainer than the Koutoubia's but very finely worked: polylobed arches, brick lozenge networks and bands of turquoise tilework in the Almohad tradition. It is the city's only major Marinid work, and the best viewpoint is the square in front of the mosque.
The mosque and the saint's tomb
A classic T-shaped plan, a courtyard with a fountain and a tomb in the north-west corner. Non-Muslims do not go in: look at the doors and the minaret from outside, and do not press on if worshippers are at prayer.
The Moulay Rachid madrasa
Built behind the mosque around 1669-1671 around a large square courtyard lined with two-storey galleries. Long a ruin, it has been restored in stages and was planned as a museum of religious objects (minbars, manuscripts): check on the spot whether it is open before making the trip.
The Ben Salah neighbourhood
A residential part of the medina, away from the main souk routes, where you mostly meet local people. A stroll here rounds off a visit to the north of the medina.
Practical info
Tips
- There is no ticket office for the outside of the mosque, which you can see for free. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and avoid prayer times, especially Friday midday, when the square fills with worshippers. The minaret can be photographed without trouble, but do not photograph people without their consent. The lanes around are narrow and poorly signposted: keep an offline map open and politely refuse "guides" who offer to take you to a place that is "closed today" and lead you to a shop instead. No price, opening hours or interior access is guaranteed for the madrasa: ask at your riad.
How to get there
In the north-east medina, about 500 m east of the Ben Youssef Madrasa, at the end of Derb Dabachi On foot from Jemaa el-Fna square: about 20 minutes through the souks On foot from the Ben Youssef Madrasa: about 10 minutes Petit taxi: to the nearest medina gate (Bab Debbagh or Bab Taghzout), then on foot
Opening hours
Nearby
See on the map →
Comments
No comments yet.