The Chrabliyine Mosque (; also

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

as ''Shirabliyyin, Cherabliyine,'' etc.) is a

Marinid The Marinid dynasty ( ) was a Berber Muslim dynasty that controlled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and intermittently controlled other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula ...

-era

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

in Fez,

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

History

The mosque was founded in the 14th century during the Marinid period. Although the exact date and patron of its construction is not confirmed, it is believed to have been was built by the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan during his reign between 1331 and 1348 CE. Abu al-Hasan was one of the most prolific builders of the Marinid era, and was responsible for building several madrasas and mosques in Fes and beyond. The mosque was considerably restored under the reign of the

Alaouite The Alawi dynasty () – also rendered in English as Alaouite, Alawid, or Alawite – is the current Moroccan royal family and reigning dynasty. They are an Arab Sharifian dynasty and claim descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his ...

sultan Moulay Slimane between 1792 and 1822. Only the minaret and the mosque entrance are still essentially in their original Marinid form, while the appearance of the rest of the mosque generally dates from the Alaouite restoration. The Mosque of Abu al-Hasan to the west, built by the same ruler in 1341 and similarly renovated by Moulay Slimane, bears a number of resemblances with this building.

Location and origin of name

The mosque is located on

Tala'a Kebira Tala'a Kebira (alternate spellings include ''Talaa Kbira'', ''Tala'a al-Kbira'', etc) (, 'the Great Slope/Climb') is one of the longest and most important streets in Fes el Bali, Fes el-Bali, the old city (Medina quarter, medina) of Fez, Morocco, ...

, the main souq (market) street and artery of

Fes el-Bali Fes el Bali () is the oldest part of Fez, Morocco. It is one of the three main districts of Fez, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created ''Ville Nouvelle (New City'). Together with Fes Jdid, it forms the medina (historic quarter) of Fez, signif ...

, the old city of Fez, from which its

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

is prominently visible. The surrounding district is also referred to as Chrabliyine, a name which refers to a type of traditional Moroccan women's shoe called "''cherbil"'' in which the local shops specialized (and still do to some extent today).

Architecture

Minaret and exterior

The mosque is considered notable for its

, which is particularly well-decorated in the medieval Moroccan-Andalusian style (evolved from earlier

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

models), making use of the ''darj-w-ktaf'' or ''sebka'' pattern (resembling

palmette The palmette is a motif in decorative art which, in its most characteristic expression, resembles the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It has a far-reaching history, originating in ancient Egypt with a subsequent development through the art o ...

s or

fleur-de-lys The ''fleur-de-lis'', also spelled ''fleur-de-lys'' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a common heraldic charge in the (stylized) shape of a lily (in French, and mean and respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' ...

shapes) covering much of the facades, as well as polylobed arch motifs near the base,

merlon A merlon is the solid, upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications. Merlons are sometimes pierced by narrow, vertical embrasures, or tooth-like slits designed for observation and fire. The sp ...

s at the top, and multicolored mosaic tiles (''

zellij Zellij (), also spelled zillij or zellige, is a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces. The pieces were typically of different colours and fitted together to form various patterns on the basis of tessellations, ...

'') that fill in the empty spaces. One of these tile mosaics, on the side of the minaret overlooking the interior courtyard, features a notable inscription in the "square" kufic style. The colourful mosaic tilework of the minaret were likely added in the reign of Moulay Slimane (between 1792 and 1822), although the wide band of ''zellij'' at the top is most likely part of the original Marinid design. The main street entrance to the mosque is directly below the minaret and is overlooked by a canopy of carved wood. The street facade of the building also includes spaces for two shops. File:Chrabliyine Mosque DSCF3408.jpg, View of the

from the west File:Chrabliyine minaret and entrance.jpg, The main entrance of the mosque on Tala'a Kebira street File:P1030527 (14407944061).jpg, The wooden canopy above the street entrance File:Chrabliyine Mosque DSCF3422 (cropped).jpg, Details of the brick and ''zellij'' decoration on the lower part of the minaret

Interior

The interior of the mosque features a rectangular

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

(roughly 11 by 5 meters) that can be accessed directly from the street entrance and which is flanked on either side by annexes. The courtyard, like that of many mosques, features a marble fountain in its center, while on its north/western side is also an entrance to an ablutions room. On its southern/eastern side is the prayer hall, featuring two transverse naves formed by rows of five horseshoe arches parallel to the ''

qibla The qibla () is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Great Mosque of Mecca, Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the salah. In Islam, the Kaaba is believed to ...

'' wall (i.e. the wall towards which prayers face). The ''

mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...

'', a decorative alcove or niche in the qibla wall that symbolizes the direction of prayer, is a small octagonal space topped by a dome of

muqarnas Muqarnas (), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of I ...

. On either side of the mihrab are two small doors leading to other rooms. The eastern one (on the left) connects to a "mosque of the dead" or funerary mosque (''Jama' el-Gnaiz''), a space used for

funerary rites A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect t ...

and

prayers File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

around the bodies of the deceased before they are buried. (This space is attached but separate from the rest of the mosque in order to protect the cleanliness and sanctity of the main prayer space.) Both this funerary space and the main prayer hall can also be accessed by smaller secondary entrances from the street on the eastern side of the building.

Ablutions facility

Directly across the street from the mosque is a ''mida'a'' (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: ميضأة), a facility that allowed Muslims to perform ablutions. The facility consists of an internal courtyard which was reached through a bent corridor from the street entrance. At the middle of the courtyard is a rectangular water basin, decorated with simple tilework, while around the courtyard are multiple small rooms which contain latrines.

References

{{Mosques in Morocco Mosques in Fez, Morocco Marinid architecture 14th-century establishments in Morocco