Place R'cif and R'cif Mosque, Fes

The R'Cif Mosque is a Friday mosque of Fes el-Bali, the old city of Fes. It is located in the Place R'Cif in the heart of the Medina, one of the few squares in the city accessible to cars. The name means "Mosque of the Paved Road." It sits on a cliff beside the Bou Khareb River, which runs underground from the square to the city's south side.

The mosque was built during the reign of Alouite sultan Moulay Slimane in the late 18th century. The sultan also installed two marble fountains and a basin in the courtyard of the mosque. The mosque covers an area of about 1500 square meters. It has a tall minaret with a square base, decorated in green faience.

The main entrance of the mosque is on the west side facing a small square. The gate is carved in a geometric patterns in a square frame. It is filled with green and mosaic tiles and it has a carved wooden canopy. The east side of the courtyard of the roofed prayer hall has rows of horseshoe arches. There are arabesque motifs in painted colors.

The mosque was a rally point during the protests against French occupation in the 1930s. The rallies and protests were violently repressed by French troops and people were killed. Crowds of protesters marched from the R'Cif and Qaawiyyin mosques. The protests led to the awakening of Moroccan nationalism and independence.