Manuscript library
Rare old books.
Stegop — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dan Lundberg — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Emilien Lebourgeois — Public domain · Stegop — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Emilien Lebourgeois — Public domain · Rosino — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Emilien Lebourgeois — Public domain · Emilien Lebourgeois — Public domain
A village in the oases of the Draa valley, about twenty kilometres south-east of Zagora on the edge of the desert; its Amazigh name is said to mean «the last place before the desert». It has been a religious and scholarly centre since the eleventh century, famed for the Zaouia Naciria, seat of the Nasiriyya Sufi order, one of the most prominent in Morocco's history. The order takes its name from Sidi Mohammed ben Nasser al-Draoui, who took over teaching at the zaouia in the seventeenth century. His son Ahmed ben Nasser, who made the pilgrimage six times and travelled widely in the East, brought back many books from across the Islamic world, forming the core of its famous library. The library holds manuscripts on Qur'anic studies, medicine, astronomy and mathematics; some are on display, while handling them requires an official permit. The village is also known for its green-glazed pottery, made in traditional workshops, fired in mud-brick kilns and sold in shops along the main road. Behind the zaouia lies an old ksar of dark covered alleys that stay cool in the heat and are still lived in today. Wandering the village is free; a custodian of the zaouia usually shows visitors the library for a small donation, while the shrine itself is open to Muslims only. The weekly souk is held on Saturdays, and the yearly moussem of Sidi Mohammed ben Nasser falls a month after Eid al-Adha.
Rare old books.
The famous green glaze.
Dark, cool alleys.
Draa valley, about twenty kilometres south-east of Zagora
Yes, usually with one of the zaouia's custodians for a small donation; you can see some manuscripts on display, but handling them requires an official permit.