zawya of sid ahmed Laaroussi

Zawiya of Sheikh Ahmed Laaroussi

The Zawiya of Sheikh Ahmed Laaroussi is situated on Al Dahab Valley, 14 km away from the famous rock “Tbila”, where Sheikh Ahmed Laaroussi used to perform his prayers. Near the Zawiya, large number of people from Laaroussyin tribe are living semi-permanently. A modern Zawiya building was established near the old zawiya.



Zawiya and tomb of Sidi Ahmed Laaroussi
Biography and genealogy of Sheikh Sayed Ahmed Laaroussi

Sheikh Ahmed Laaroussi was born in the Tunisia desert in 886. He stayed there under the guardianship of grandfather until manhood. Sheikh Sayed Ahmad Laaroussi met Sheikh Ahmed bin Yousef Rashidi Almiliani, from whom he took his Sufi practice then moved to Meknes, Morocco, where he met with Sheikh Abdel Rahman Majdoub, who taught him his Sufi practice. He then moved to Marrakesh, a center of the followers of Jazouli doctrine, where he met with Sheikh Abu Al Azm Rahal Al Kochi known as Balbudali. Sheikh Ahmed Laaroussi died in 1002 hg.
Genealogy of Sheikh Sayed Ahmed Laaroussi: Sayed Ahmed son of Omar son of Sidi Moussa son of Yahya son of Hassan son of Said son of Abdul Qadir son of Saleh son of Umar son of Hassan son of Ibrahim son of Sadik son of Abdul-Karim son of Abdul Kamil, son of Ali son of Idris II son of. Driss I son of Abdullah Kamil son of Hassan Sebti son of Hassan Muthanna son of Imam Ali Fatima Zahra son of the Prophet may peace be upon him.

Old mosque
Despite his old age, it is of great historic and religious importance to the population of Smara, as well as researchers and visitors. Smara sheikhs and those interested in the city’s history, believe that the old mosque built in 1969 by a wealthy aging Spanish, from his own money, so that it would be a place of worship, and an example of religious coexistence between the three monotheistic religions Islam, Christianity and Judaism. This evidenced the minaret which is composed of 4 circles and crescent contrary to the Islamic model which is 3 circles and a crescent. Some of its columns include ruins of the Christian cross and Jewish star.

In terms of the architectural and construction method, the mosque architecture and Arabesque used show that it was built according to the Andalusian way. Construction materials include black solid stones found in the Smara region, the mosque area is 320 Square meters, expanded later to 722.84 square meters.

Although the mosque in the old city of Smara is at the center of interest by the Ministry of Waqf and Islamic Affairs, which has been working for years to take care of its furniture, and that daily prayers and Friday prayers are performed regularly, howver, the city of Smara painfully remembers expansion works around the mosque which were not well studied. Therefore the mosque is now surrounded by modern buildings and shops, which undermined its autonomy and beauty.
As for Zawiyas existing in Laayoune