Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Marabouts & Zawiyas
An important Moroccan tradition is the custom of venerating
marabouts
(saints).
Mara-
bouts
are devout Muslims whose acts of devotion and professions of faith were so pro-
found, their very presence is considered to confer
baraka
(grace) even after their death.
Moroccans go out of their way to visit
marabout
mausoleums and
zawiyas
(shrines).
This practice of honouring
marabout
s is more in line with ancient Berber beliefs and
Sufi mysticism than orthodox Islam, which generally discourages anything resembling
idol worship. Visits to
zawiyas
are side trips for the many devout Moroccans who spend a
lifetime preparing and planning for the
haj
.
