Moulay Idriss Moussem

The town of Moulay Idriss close to Fes in the north of the country is the holiest site in the whole of Morocco. Each September it hosts the Moulay Idriss Moussem, a Muslim religious festival which honors the town’s patron saint, Moulay Idriss, after which the town takes its name. It is deeply religious occasion during which thousands of Muslim pilgrims travel to the town to participate in this incredible religious gathering. The event is so important, it is considered by many to be an alternative to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. This is a religious event and visitors should be sensitive to this fact as non-Muslims were forbidden from even visiting the town until the early part of the 20th century.