The Zawiya of Sidi Abd el-Aziz (alternate spellings include Zaouia of Sidi Abdelaziz) is an

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

religious complex ( zawiya) in

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

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 to ...

. It is centered around the tomb of the Muslim scholar and

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

Sidi Abu Faris Abd al-Aziz Abd al-Haq at-Tabba', who died in Marrakesh in 1508. Sidi Abd el-Aziz is considered one of the

Seven Saints of Marrakesh The Seven Saints of Marrakesh or Patron Saints of Marrakesh () are seven historical Muslim figures buried in Marrakesh, Morocco. Each of them was a famous Muslim judge, scholar or Sufi saint (''wali'') venerated for their piety or other mystical ...

, and his tomb was a prominent stop for pilgrims to Marrakesh. The zawiya is located on ''Rue Mouassine'' (Mouassine Street) at its intersection with ''Rue Amesfah''.

Historical background

Sidi Abd al-Aziz at-Tabbaa' was the most important disciple of the Sufi master al-Jazuli, who died in 1465 and whose mausoleum is also found in Marrakesh (after his body was moved there by the

Saadians The Saadi Sultanate (also rendered in English as Sa'di, Sa'did, Sa'dian, or Saadian; ar, السعديون, translit=as-saʿdiyyūn) was a state which ruled present-day Morocco and parts of West Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was l ...

in 1523-24). At-Tabba', a native of Marrakesh, gained his reputation while teaching at the al-'Attarine Madrasa in

Fes Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...

and came to be seen as al-Jazuli's spiritual successor. Along with al-Jazuli and five others, he also came to be considered one of the Seven Saints of Marrakesh (a religious institution officially established by Sultan Moulay Ismai'l), and was considered the patron saint of the city's

tanners Tanners may refer to: * Tanners (company), a British wine company * Tanners, Virginia, an unincorporated community located in Madison County, United States * Jerald and Sandra Tanner, opponents of the LDS Church (Mormons) * Leatherhead F.C., a fo ...

in particular. Among these Seven Saints was also Sidi Abdallah al-Ghaswani who himself was a disciple and successor of Sidi Abdelaziz and was later buried in another zawiya further south. The zawiya complex presents a mix of

Saadian The Saadi Sultanate (also rendered in English as Sa'di, Sa'did, Sa'dian, or Saadian; ar, السعديون, translit=as-saʿdiyyūn) was a state which ruled present-day Morocco and parts of West Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was l ...

and later

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 ...

architecture. The mausoleum first took shape under the Saadians in the early 16th-century. However, according to Gaston Deverdun ( French scholar whose work on Marrakesh is heavily cited), the current building dates largely from the time of Moulay Muhammad ibn Abdallah (governor of Marrakesh after 1746 and sultan from 1757-1790), who is responsible for building and restoring many monuments in the city.

References

External links

Zawiya Sidi Abdel Aziz Tebba
at Archnet (includes pictures of the mosque's interior) {{coord, 31, 37, 55.5, N, 7, 59, 20.6, W, type:landmark, display= title Mosques in Marrakesh Mausoleums in Morocco Sufism in Morocco

Historical background

See also

References

External links