The R'cif Mosque (; also transliterated as ''R'sif'', ''Ercif'', ''er-Rsif'', or ''Rasif'') is a

Friday mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

in Fes el-Bali, the old city (

medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...

) of

Fez Fez most often refers to: * Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire * Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco Fez or FEZ may also refer to: Media * ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

. It has one of the tallest minarets in the city and overlooks Place R'cif in the heart of the medina.

Location and name

The mosque is located just west of Place R'cif, a large public square created in the 20th century to provide easier access to the interior of the medina (it is one of the only places inside the medina that can be reached by car). Its name means "Mosque of the Paved Road". It was built on a cliffside along the shore of the Bou Khrareb River (''Oued Bou Khrareb'') which passes through the center of the city, though the river is now hidden underground between Place R'Cif and the south edge of the city. The mosque is also near the central souqs (markets) of the city, stretching downhill from the

Qarawiyyin The University of al-Qarawiyyin ( ar, جامعة القرويين; ber, ⵜⴰⵙⴷⴰⵡⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵇⴰⵕⴰⵡⵉⵢⵉⵏ; french: Université Al Quaraouiyine), also written Al-Karaouine or Al Quaraouiyine, is a university located in ...

area.

History

Construction

The mosque was built in the 18th century during the reign of the

Alaouite The Alawi dynasty ( ar, سلالة العلويين الفيلاليين, translit=sulālat al-ʿalawiyyīn al-fīlāliyyīn) – also rendered in English as Alaouite, Alawid, or Alawite – is the current Moroccan royal family and reigning d ...

sultan Moulay Slimane (1792-1822). (Although some authors attribute it to the reign of Moulay Mohammed bin Abdallah between 1757 and 1790.) It is recorded that Moulay Slimane commissioned two marble fountains and a marble water basin which were placed in the mosque's courtyard (''

sahn A ''sahn'' ( ar, صَحْن, '), is a courtyard in Islamic architecture, especially the formal courtyard of a mosque. Most traditional mosques have a large central ''sahn'', which is surrounded by a '' riwaq'' or arcade on all sides. In traditi ...

'') in 1797. The sultan's architect in charge of these works was al-Hassan al-Soudani.

Role in 1937 protests

The mosque was a prominent rallying point during the riots and protests that occurred across multiple Moroccan cities in late 1937 against the French Protectorate authorities. The protests were sparked by food shortages which threatened local tribes, dispossessed of their best lands by the French, with starvation. They were exacerbated by the French authorities' violent suppression of protests in Meknes (near Fes), killing 13 people and injuring more. Not long after, protests spread to Fes. Crowds of demonstrators used the R'cif and Qarawiyyin Mosques as gathering points before marching out into the city, with 1500 marching from the R'cif mosque alone. On October 28, French authorities sent troops to occupy the entire medina, including the mosques. This resulted in a confrontation inside the mosque during which 6 people were injured by grenades thrown by French troops. Order was eventually reestablished soon after, but the protests were one of the pivotal points in the evolution the Moroccan nationalist movement, which transitioned from a reformist agenda to demands for independence.

Architecture

The mosque occupies an area of roughly 1500

square meters The square metre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or square meter (American spelling) is the unit of area in the International System of Units (SI) with symbol m2. It is the area of a square ...

. The mosque features one of the tallest minarets in the old city, making it very prominent on the skyline, especially from the south. The minaret has a square base and is decorated simply with bands of green

faience Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major a ...

. The main gate of the mosque opens on its west side, facing a small public square. It is decorated with a carved geometric pattern inside a square frame, typical of the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire fou ...

and

Marinid The Marinid Sultanate was a Berber Muslim empire from the mid-13th to the 15th century which controlled present-day Morocco and, intermittently, other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) ar ...

architectural legacies, filled with predominantly green tiles decorated with

arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

s and small areas of mosaic tiles (''

zellij ''Zellij'' ( ar, الزليج, translit=zillīj; also spelled zillij or zellige) is a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces. The pieces were typically of different colours and fitted together to form various pa ...

''). Above the gate is an ornately carved wooden canopy, likely of cedar, also typical of

Moroccan architecture Moroccan architecture refers to the architecture characteristic of Morocco throughout its history and up to modern times. The country's diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military ...

, and further above and behind rises the minaret of the mosque. Inside the mosque is a wide courtyard (''

'') surrounded by arcaded galleries, at the center of is a rectangular water basin (to aid in ablutions) under a small roofed pavilion. On the east side of the courtyard is a large roofed prayer hall marked by rows of horseshoe arches. This overall layout is similar to other Moroccan mosques. The '' mihrab'' is also very traditional, consisting of an alcove with a horseshoe arch resting on

engaged columns In architecture, an engaged column is a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall, sometimes defined as semi- or three-quarter detached. Engaged columns are rarely found in classical Greek architecture, and then ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

(reused from Saadian monuments), surrounded by carved stucco decoration of typical Moroccan arabesque motifs and

calligraphic Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as ...

inscriptions, highlighted with painted colours. In addition to being a

(i.e. a large mosque that accommodates

Friday prayers In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer ('' ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according ...

and hosts a ''

khutba ''Khutbah'' ( ar, خطبة ''khuṭbah'', tr, hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition. Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic tradition ...

''), it also hosted a small library of books for use in the mosque. The mosque also had a public street fountain to offer water to local residents.

Gallery

File:29612-Fez (27595871294).jpg, R'cif Mosque seen from the south (the white minaret in the upper right is that of the

Qarawiyyin Mosque The University of al-Qarawiyyin ( ar, جامعة القرويين; ber, ⵜⴰⵙⴷⴰⵡⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵇⴰⵕⴰⵡⵉⵢⵉⵏ; french: Université Al Quaraouiyine), also written Al-Karaouine or Al Quaraouiyine, is a university located in ...

) File:Fes plaza.jpg, The mosque seen from Place R'cif (R'cif Square) File:The city of Fes 4.jpg, The minaret File:Rcif Mosque gate.jpg, The main doors of the mosque File:Rcif Mosque gate3.jpg, Detail of the wooden canopy above the entrance

References

{{Mosques in Morocco Mosques in Fez, Morocco 'Alawi architecture