Zawiya Nassiriyya

Top choice in Draa Valley


Non-Muslims cannot visit the green-roofed mausoleum but the remarkable library inside the adjacent Quranic school is open to all – providing the keyholder's around. Among the 4000 ancient manuscripts that remain on the glassed-in shelves – there used to be around 50,000, now lost or in other museums – are maps with precise details, exquisite calligraphy and a Quran written on gazelle hide dating back to 11th-century Cordoba. Find it through an arch in the northwest corner of the main square. No photographs.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Draa Valley attractions

1. Maison de Poterie

0.16 MILES

Abderrahman Bassou will walk you through the rustic pottery-making process, including sitting in a hole in the ground to work the wheel. Oxidised copper…

2. Tinfou Dunes

4.81 MILES

The great sand seas of M'Hamid and Merzouga can make the Tinfou Dunes, around 7km south of Tamegroute, seem like a child's sandbox – especially on busy…

3. Jebel Zagora

7.49 MILES

This spectacular mountain rises over the Draa River – worth climbing for the views, provided you have stamina, water and sunblock and set off in the early…

4. Amezrou

9.35 MILES

Zagora’s desert-crossroads culture can be glimpsed in the neighbouring village of Amezrou, where the historic mud-brick mellah (Jewish quarter), once home…

6. Erg Lehoudi

24.69 MILES

The 100m-high Erg Lihoudi, located 8km northeast of M'Hamid, are some of the most easily accessible dunes in the area. Characterised by their white river…

7. El Mesouiria

25.64 MILES

Located just 8km northwest of M'Hamid, El Mesouiria is an option for an easy overnight camel trek. Dunes range between 60m and 80m in height and are…

8. Aït Ouazik

29.35 MILES

Getting to this site, scattered with 6000-year-old rock carvings, can be a challenge – it’s close to Tazzarine but around 20km off road so the going is…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "morocco/tamegroute/attractions/zawiya-nassiriyya/a/poi-sig/1404608/1336152",
      "destination": "Draa-Valley",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Morocco",
      "region": "Draa-Valley",
      "position": "superzone"
    }