Moulay Tayeb Al-Darqawi in Douart Amejjoute, Morocco
Moulay Tayeb Al-Darqawi (aka Mawlāy at-Tayyib ad-Darqāwī) was the son of the renowned Moroccan Sufi leader Muhammad Al-Arabi Al-Darqawi (1760–1823). It would be more accurate to refer to this structure as the Mausoleum or Shrine of Moulay Tayeb Al-Darqawi, however, on most maps, it is commonly identified simply by his name. This could be considered an odd detail of negligible importance, but there is another peculiar fact pertaining to this site: although there is a wealth of documentation regarding his father, there is virtually no information at all on Moulay Tayeb Al-Darqawi apart that he was his father’s successor as the head of the Darqawiyya order in Morocco. This is basically an obscure misnamed shrine honouring an obscure person.
Another significant reason why this shrine is little-known is that it is located in the Rif Region, which is a sparsely populated rural area with limited public transport – only shared taxis come this way. It is only 135 km north of Fez, but the route mainly consists of narrow, crumbling roads winding up and down this section of the Middle Atlas. With no major settlements nearby, this shrine stands out in the middle of farmland. This shrine was erected in this particular place because the Al-Darqawi family was originally form the Rif Region.
The shrine exhibits all the typical characteristics of shrines in the region. The base is rectangular, and it is capped with a dome roof that symbolises the heavens. Along the perimeter of the dome are decorative crenelations, which are also quite widespread. Large sections of the plaster that once covered the whole shrine peeled off, revealing red bricks and earth. The cracks and other signs of natural wear suggest that this shrine was been neglected for quite a long time.
The inside of the shrine is equally dilapidated, but there are still some elements of interest. The floor and part of the lower walls are still covered with traditional Moroccan tiles called zellige. Light enters primarily from the main arched door and the two sizable windows on its sides. Opposite, there are two more small windows with the shutters closed. The inside of the dome reveals the intricate brinkmanship that went into this structure. Visible is also a delicately decorated fragment of plaster on the domed ceiling, all the remains of tadelakt (polished lime plaster) that probably covered the whole ceiling.
Restoration work of Moulay Tayeb Al-Darqawi was planned to start in 2020. Since then, the dirt road linking the shrine to the main road has been improved, and the outer wall around the shrine was demolished, however, as of 2025, there is no sign of further restoration work. The construction warning sign is still standing but so faded that it is basically unreadable.
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