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Geonivora
Town

Moulay Driss Zerhoun

Local name: ‫مولاي إدريس‬

Located in Meknès Prefecture, Fes-Meknes Coordinates: 34°03′20″ N 5°31′17″ W

Moulay Driss Zerhoun
Ninara from Helsinki, Finland · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Population
12,683
12.7K
Elevation
553 m
above sea level
Local time
UTC+00:00
Africa/Casablanca · UTC+00:00
When to go
May–JuneOctober
See the climate
Airports
FEZ Fes Saïss International Airport52 km
RBA Rabat-Salé Airport114 km

About Moulay Driss Zerhoun

Moulay Driss Zerhoun is a town. Location: Meknès Prefecture, Fes-Meknes. Population: 12,683. Elevation: 553 m.

From Wikipedia

Moulay Idriss, Moulay Driss Zerhoun or simply Zerhoun (Arabic: مولاي إدريس زرهون) is a town in Meknes Prefecture, Fès-Meknès region of northern Morocco, spread over two hills at the base of Mount Zerhoun. It is famous for being the site of the tomb of Idris I, the first ruler of the Idrisid dynasty, after whom the town is named. It is located near Meknes and overlooks the ruins of Volubilis three kilometers to the north-west.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Heritage designation
Tentative World Heritage Site

Source: Wikidata

Travel notes for Moulay Driss Zerhoun

From Wikivoyage

Moulay Idriss or Moulay Idriss Zerhoun is located north of Meknes and is considered the holiest city of Morocco.

Understand+

It was here that Moulay Idriss I arrived in 789, bringing with him the religion of Islam, and starting a new dynasty. In addition to founding the town named after him, he also initiated construction of Fez, continued later by his son, Moulay Idriss II.

The town is compact, and its narrow streets will feel familiar to anyone who has spent time in the medinas of other Moroccan cities. Just off the main square is the Mausoleum of Idriss I, a sacred destination that is open only to Muslims. It is said in Morocco that six pilgrimages to Moulay Idriss during the annual festival honoring the saint is equivalent to one Haj to Mecca. Also of note is the round minaret at another mosque in town, the only one in Morocco. The ruins of the Phoenician and Roman city of Volubilis are located 5 km away. Moulay Idriss I took many materials from here in order to build his town.

Get in+

By bus:

Local bus #15 from Meknes is a convenient option, 7 dirham. You can catch it at the roundabout near the Grand Taxi Stand.

There are two daily buses on Meknes–Chefchaouen route, they can drop off passengers at roundabout leading to Moulay Idriss on request, it's about 3 hours to Chefchaouen.

1 Gare Routière. (updated Jan 2023)

By grand taxi:

Can be found in the large taxi rank opposite the French Institute (Institut Francais) in Meknes. A single seat in the grand taxi costs 12 dirham (Dec 2026) and the drive takes around 20-30 min.

By private taxi:

They should be around 300-350 dirham with the driver waiting while you peruse the site.

By tour:

Alternatively, there are organised coach tours running from Fez and possibly Meknes to Volubilis. Just ask your local tout.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Population of Moulay Driss Zerhoun over time

Population of Moulay Driss Zerhoun over time
1994 12,521
2004 12,611
2014 11,615
2024 10,038

Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.

Climate of Moulay Driss Zerhoun

Best months for sightseeing

Best months for sightseeing: May–June, October.

This month · November

Outside the best season

Day 19° · Night 8° · Rain 71 mm

Better nearby cities in November

  • Ksar El Kebir · 111 km north21°
  • Salé Al Jadida · 113 km west21°
  • Al Hoceima · 197 km northeast20°
Hottest month
July (day 33°)
Coldest month
January (night 4°)
Wettest month
December (84 mm)
Driest month
July (1 mm)

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table
Climate of Moulay Driss Zerhoun
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)15°16°18°20°23°28°33°32°29°24°19°16°
Average low (°C)4°5°7°9°11°14°17°17°16°12°8°5°
Precipitation (mm)7373746538121112497184

Other places to visit in this season: May June October

How to get to Moulay Driss Zerhoun

The nearest airport is Fes Saïss International Airport (FEZ), 52 km to the east as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Ksar El Kebir, 111 km to the north.

Airports

  • Fes Saïss International Airport (FEZ) Saïss 52 kmeast
  • Rabat-Salé Airport (RBA) Rabat 114 kmwest
  • Sania Ramel Airport (TTU) Tétouan 172 kmnorth

Nearby large cities

  • Ksar El Kebir Population: 138.3K 111 kmnorth
  • Salé Al Jadida Population: 200K 113 kmwest
  • Salé Population: 972.3K 118 kmwest
  • Rabat Population: 1.7M 121 kmwest
  • Tétouan Population: 415.8K 170 kmnorth

Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.

Day trips from Moulay Driss Zerhoun

Within 100 km: 5 historic and cultural sites, 3 natural sites, 1 lake, river or coast.

0–25 km2 places

  • Jbel Zerhoun Mountain 3 kmSW
  • Volubilis Historic site 4 kmNW

25–60 km3 places

  • Sidi Ghrib Mountain 55 kmN
  • Borj Nord Historic site 50 kmE
  • University of al-Karaouine Attraction 51 kmE

60–100 km4 places

  • Jebel Hebri Mountain 85 kmSE
  • Site Archéologique de Banassa Historic site 82 kmNW
  • Baht River River 93 kmNW
  • Basra Historic site 88 kmN

Straight-line distances.

Nearby attractions & nature

Everything nearby
  • Jbel Zerhoun Mountain, Meknès Prefecture
    2.8 km SW
  • Volubilis Historic site, Meknès Prefecture
    3.7 km NW

Sources & licences

Data last updated: · 2 independent sources