Zaouia De Sidi Bel Abbes Zawyt Abw Albas Alsbty

Dedicated to the beloved saint Abu al Abbas al Sabti, may God sanctify his memory, one of the seven patron saints of Marrakesh whose compassion for the poor and the blind made him a figure of abiding affection, the Zaouia Sidi Bel Abbes stands within the old medina of the red city of Morocco. Abu al Abbas came originally from Ceuta and settled in Marrakesh in the twelfth century, where he established a circle of disciples devoted to the remembrance of God and the service of the needy, and after his passing his tomb became a place of visitation that has continued unbroken for more than eight centuries. The complex as it stands today was developed under the Saadian dynasty and expanded by the Alaouite sultans, particularly Moulay Ismail, who endowed it with substantial waqf properties to ensure its continued service to Marrakesh's blind community. The architecture blends the classic forms of Almohad and Marinid mosque building, presenting a courtyard paved in zellij tiles of green, ochre and white, horseshoe arches springing from slender columns of pink tadelakt plaster, and a cedarwood ceiling intricately carved and painted in reds and blues. A green tile roof rises above the tomb chamber, its slopes visible from Derb Sidi bel Abbes and the neighbouring suqs. Inside, the prayer hall is lit by hanging brass lamps and carpeted with rich Berber rugs donated over generations. The mihrab is crowned by a cascading muqarnas of painted plaster and flanked by panels of calligraphy in the maghribi thuluth hand. The zawiya remains a hub of charitable activity, distributing bread, clothing and monetary support to blind residents of Marrakesh following a custom established by the saint himself. Friday prayers draw worshippers from the surrounding medina, and the weekly Thursday evening dhikr gathers devotees for the recitation of the Wazifa. During Ramadan the zawiya distributes nightly iftars featuring harira, chebakia and tea. Visitors exploring the medina's Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Marrakesh Museum or the tanneries can reach the zawiya on foot, entering in modest dress and keeping silence in the inner courtyard, where the rhythm of the dhikr and the prayers for the poor have flowed without pause for centuries.