Night in the Old City

Around the middle of Ramadan, my family and I and a group of international students we'd befriended went to pray tarawih (supererogatory prayers done in Ramadan) in the Kairaouine. Praying under the stars, surrounded by hundreds of people, was an incredible, mindful experience. 

Afterwards we headed out to do some mausoleum visits. Some, but not all, would be open late on Ramadan nights. 

The doors to the Kairaouine

We went first to the mausoleum of the Muslim saint Ahmed Tijani. We begged entry as they were just then locking the doors and we were graciously welcomed in. It was empty save for its caretakers and the disciples of the saint. Every inch of it was resplendent with intricate design, but it was not at all overwhelming, almost organic instead. 

Finally, we came upon innocuous if pretty doors of what seemed to be a shop. In fact, it used to be a store when one night the owner dreamed of the Prophet (ﷺ) entering his shop. This inspired the owner to turn his shop into a zawiyah; a place dedicated to the remembrance of God and his Prophet (ﷺ). It is only open for mawlids; a celebration specifically for the Prophet's birth (ﷺ). In the Muslim tradition, all dreams of the Prophet (ﷺ) are visions of his actual presence.

I'll leave you with a short, inexpertly shot and edited video I took after praying...