The small village of Moulay Idriss (also known as Moulay Idriss Zerhoun) is a worthwhile place to visit. It's relaxed, cheerful and near hassle-free. Sited atop two verdant knolls, it's both charming and picturesque. Moulay Idriss is an important place of pilgrimage for Moroccan Muslims. It's the resting place of Morocco's most revered saint, Moulay Idris I. It's a holy city. And while non-Muslims aren't allowed in the town's mosques and shrines, twin terraces - petite and grande - afford panoramic views of the mausoleum, village and contiguous green hills. The cafes and food stalls that front the main square are a great place to sip mint tea and enjoy a leisurely lunch of grilled meat and tajine after a tiring tour of nearby Volubilis.
Moulay Idris I, born Idris ibn Abdallah, is Morocco's most important saint. Great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Idris was forced to flee Baghdad in 786 AD. After settling briefly in Tangier, he moved to the old Roman city of Volubilis and quickly charmed the Berber tribes. He was made a spiritual leader or iman. He ruled the locals like a lord. Idris unified much of northern Morocco under Islam. He founded Morocco's first dynasty and the first Moroccan state. Idris was poisoned in 791 by his archenemy the Caliph of Baghdad.
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