Marrakech Shrine

Peering through an green iron gate covering an open window frame into a dark room during the middle of the day, you notice several women covered in ornately patterned blankets asleep on the floor surrounding a large well decorated box. These are women seaking spiritual help from the enshrined body of Sidi Abdellaziz at-Tabba, one of the ‘Seven Men of Marrakech’, adorned by much of the older generation and still by many of the younger.

For 350 years, women and men have come to pay homage to one of the 7 different shrines of Marrakech for a variety of problems from difficulty getting pregnant and marriage problems to chronic debilitating illnesses. As is tradition sugar, candles or money are placed beside or under the shrines as means of further enhancing their chances of spiritual fulfilment and appeasement of their troubles.

Although declining in believers as technological generations increase, the respect and understanding, as with many other beliefs and traditions, is still very much shared by the population.

Our restored Riad hotels are the perfect base from which to explore the Marrakech old town.