Zawiya de Moulay Idriss II (Shrine of Moulay Idriss II), Fes

Just south of the busy Al-Attarine Souk lies the Shrine of Moulay Idriss, a holy hotspot that's been casting its spiritual shadow over Fes for five centuries. Rebuilt in the 18th century by Sultan Moulay Ismail, it stands as his one and only act of piety in the city—quite the grand gesture, wouldn't you say?

Now, if you stroll down Derb Bab Moulay Ismail, which starts from the southeast corner of Nejjarine Square, you'll spot a wooden bar. That's where the shrine's sanctuary zone kicks off. Back in the day, before the French came and took over in 1911, that bar was the cut-off point for Christians, Jews – and, yes, mules as well. If you were Muslim and dared to step past it, you basically had the right to claim asylum from prosecution or apprehension. But times change, and nowadays non-Muslims can at least gawk at the outside of the ‘zaouia’. Peek through discreetly, and you might just catch a glimpse of the saint's final resting place.

Slide under that wooden bar like you're in a spy movie and make your way up Derb Bab Moulay Ismail. Prepare for sensory overload as stalls hawking everything from silverware to nougat assault your senses. Keep your eyes peeled for the women's entrance—it's your window into the inner sanctum. Looking in from the doorway, the 15th-century shrine of Moulay Idriss is quite discernible within the distant chamber, amid an ambiance redolent of fervent devotion.

A noteworthy peculiarity, characteristic of several ‘zaouias’ yet seldom observable externally, are the myriad European clocks, bestowed as prestigious gifts and held in high esteem during the 19th century, having been imported from Manchester by prominent Fassi merchant clans. Who knew keeping time could be so cosmopolitan?