Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif

Moulay Ali Cherif died in the seventeenth century and is the ancestor from whom the Alaouite dynasty, which has ruled Morocco since the 1660s and still does, takes its descent - the family came from the Tafilalt, the great oasis at the end of the Saharan caravan route, and rose from a local religious position to the throne. The mausoleum at Rissani marks his grave. The present building is twentieth century, rebuilt after flood damage, in white and green with a courtyard, arcades and a pyramidal roof, and it is maintained as a site of national significance. Non-Muslims may enter the outer courtyard but not the burial chamber. Around it lie the other things of the Tafilalt: the ruins of Sijilmassa, the ksour in the palms, and the ruined Ksar Ouled Abdelhalim a short distance away, which is the more architecturally rewarding stop of the two.

What you actually see

• The dynasty's ancestor - the grave from which the ruling family takes its descent.
• A twentieth-century rebuilding - white and green with a courtyard and pyramid roof.
• The Tafilalt origin - a family that rose from this oasis to the throne.
• The courtyard only - non-Muslims admitted no further than the arcades.

When to go

October to April. Half an hour, as one stop among several at Rissani.

Honest expectations

Non-Muslims cannot enter the burial chamber. The building is modern rather than historic. Dress modestly - it is a working shrine. Summer heat in the Tafilalt is extreme.

Nearby

Ksar Ouled Abdelhalim and the Sijilmassa ruins are close; Merzouga is south-east.