Moroccan Village Named Among World’s Most Beautiful by Architectural Digest

Moulay Idriss Zerhoun (Morocco) ranks 7th in the ranking of the 13 most beautiful villages in the world, carried out by the famous travel magazine, Architectural Digest (AD). Orta San Giulio (Italy) is elected the most beautiful village in the world. It is followed by Frigiliana (Spain), Taxco de Alarcon (Mexico), Gordes (France), Castle Combe, Wiltshire, (England) and Guatapé (Colombia). Ogimachi, Shirakawa-Go (Japan) is positioned in 8th place. Then come Giethoorn (Netherlands), Lamu (Kenya) and Sighișoara (Romania). Penglipuran (Indonesia) and Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Germany) close the podium.

Founded in the 8th century, Moulay Idriss Zerhoun is located 60 kilometers west of Fez (the spiritual capital of the kingdom) and 5 kilometers from the Amazigh (Berber) and Roman remains of Volubilis. Every year, a pilgrimage is organized to commemorate its founder. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 1995, Moulay Idriss Zerhoun is known for its stunning examples of Islamic architecture, including the Sentissi Mosque, whose cylindrical minaret - the only one in Morocco - is covered with a mosaic of green and white zellige tiles spelling out a Quranic verse, the mausoleum of the sovereign Idris Iᵉʳ, great-grandson of Hassan ben Ali, founder of the Idrisid dynasty, poisoned on the orders of Hâroun ar-Rachîd.