Mosque Lalla Reya Mosque Lalt Ryt ⵜⴰⵎⵣⴳⵉⴷⴰ ⵍⴰⵍⵍⴰ ⵔⴻⵢⵢⴰ

Perched within the Agadir quarter of Tlemcen, close to the old Zayyanid citadel walls and the graceful shrine of Sidi Boumediene further up the hill, the Mosquée of Lalla Reya, known in Arabic as Masjid Lallah Rayya and in Tamazight as Tamzgida Lalla Reyya, preserves the memory of a pious woman of the town whose saintly reputation drew local families to visit her grave long after her death. The honorific Lalla, used across the Maghreb for women of noble or saintly standing, indicates her status within the community, and her story blends with the wider tradition of female awliya whose shrines dot the historic quarters of Tlemcen, Fez, and other cities of western Islamic civilisation. The mosque built in her honour is modest but graceful, combining a small square prayer hall under a shallow dome, a short square minaret in dressed stone, and a courtyard with a single fig tree and a marble fountain for wudu. The interior is decorated with zellij tilework in soft green and ochre, carved plaster panels bearing verses from the Qur'an, and a cedar minbar with inlaid geometric patterns. Daily prayers gather residents of the quarter, many of them descendants of families who have lived in Agadir for generations. Jumu'ah draws a larger congregation, and the khutbah is delivered in Arabic, often touching on the virtues of pious women in the prophetic tradition, including references to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, may God be pleased with her, and Maryam, peace be upon her. Ramadan brings nightly taraweeh, communal iftars featuring harira, chebakia, dates, and mint tea, and Qur'an completion ceremonies during the last ten nights. Eid prayers open onto the old lanes, where children in new clothes receive sweets. The mosque also hosts marriage contracts, funeral prayers, and occasional scholarly gatherings dedicated to the biographies of the city's awliya. Respectful dress, quiet voices, and the humility appropriate to a place of ziyarah are gratefully appreciated by the custodians throughout the year. A small Qur'an circle for girls meets in the courtyard on weekend mornings, led by women from the families of the older quarter, and the mosque's modest finances rest on the steady contributions of those same families, whose names appear on a carved wooden board near the entrance alongside a plaque recording the latest restoration work undertaken with help from the municipal heritage authority of Tlemcen.