Built on the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Sala Colonia , this
necropolis called by the guides " most romantic site in Morocco ," has
not always had the passion it arouses today.Away
from the city, or rather out of the enclosure Almohad located south
along the marshes and BOUREGREG , the remains of the necropolis Mérinide
thirteenth century were long , as the Hassan Tower, abandoned . This destroyed by the earthquake of 1755 and stripped the noblest by
looters building materials , thus remained in ruins for hundreds of
years.This is the first sultan Abu Yusuf Ya'qub Mérinide chooses precisely this place and decided to build a mosque among the ruins of Sala . He was buried there in 1286 and his wife after him and four of his successors.
This site is now listed and protected by the Moroccan authorities , who seized all the historical and tourist interest of this place like no other .
Surrounded by an invasive urbanization, yet it is away from the buildings nearby modern neighborhood of Souissi which do not distort .After having passed through the famous octagonal doing very well restored , the walls erected by Sultan Abu al- Hassan Ali, you descend along a nice paved path lined with trees of various species and fragrant flowers .
At nightfall , the scenery is spectacular indeed impressive , and we understand why this place raises mysteries and legends.Very quickly , if you're in the right season , you will hear the storks and their beaks snap deafening at times. Storks who had deserted the site returned . Some disgruntled tell you that they did everything to come back, but regardless, they are there, and we hope for a very long time , since they seem to like it .
The
strangeness of this site is probably due to the fact that the cemetery
was erected in the immediate vicinity of the ruins of the ancient Roman
city. Why ? Nobody really knows , but probably the place already conveyed its legends . Sultan Abu Al- Hassan erected on the foundations of Roman walls , the impressive walls that surround the city of the dead . After taking all of North Africa , he decided in 1339 to build a real funeral complex and pierced the walls of the famous octagonal gate by which we enter .
Again, we do not understand today , what was the interest that could represent these military compounds , probably the place he was highly symbolic for the authority of the Sultans of the time?At the center of this cemetery , there are only a few sections of wall Zouïa .
This religious establishment was at once a mosque, a Koranic school and a hostel for pilgrims and students. According to some authors , this Zouïa was even more luxurious than the madrasas of Fez she had the same principles of construction.
Legend has it that Mohammed himself prayed in his oratory .Can still be seen virtually intact white marble stele Abu Al- Hassan and that of his wife, Shams Al- Doha, " Morning Sun " , a Christian convert to Islam , both of which are based here .
The latter , known as Chellah Lalla , is still the subject of a cult in the whole Morocco : we just have to pray at his tomb nearly eight centuries after his death.The remains of Abu Al Hassan was transferred from the region of Marrakech in the year 752 AH ( 1352 years of the Christian era ) by his successor Abu Inan .
A minaret right below koubbas , the tombs of saints, you will head to the pelvis spontaneously eels capable of ensuring the fertility of women. According to legend , the pool is fed by a miraculous source , the source of the guns , where a fish covered with golden scales live .
Eels have the ability to cure infertility . As offerings young women in a lot of children have to throw egg shells , symbols of fertility , but the pool is actually littered with coins that nobody touches ! Eels are scarce, but fish and turtles abound there .
If no more sultan was buried at Chellah Abu Inan , the site remained a sanctuary and notable Rbatis continued to be buried there , so there is still the site of many unmarked graves .Going back to the exit, the last time we observe , amid greenery of the valley of Bouregreg , minaret and its zellij polychrome faience , white, black , green and blue , prestigious setting for a stork nest .
do you like this؟ share! ↓
