El-Oued Mosque, Religious monument in Fes el Bali, Morocco
El-Oued Mosque is a place of worship in the historic medina of Fez, built with a square minaret and a rectangular courtyard planted with fruit trees. The structure blends into the narrow maze of streets and buildings that define the old quarter.
The building was constructed under Sultan Moulay Slimane between 1792 and 1822 on the site of an earlier Islamic school. The location had been a center for religious learning and practice for a long time before.
The mosque serves as a gathering place where locals meet for Friday prayers and community events that have defined religious life in this quarter for generations. Visitors can observe how daily worship and social connections remain woven into the rhythm of the old medina.
Visitors should wear modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, and remove shoes before entering. The best time to visit is outside prayer times, particularly in the morning or late afternoon.
The name means River Mosque and comes from its location above the Oued Masmouda, an underground canal that supplied water to the surrounding area. This hidden water system still shapes the invisible infrastructure of the old quarter today.
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