Zerhoun

Zerhoun (also spelled Zarhun or Zarhon) is a mountain in Morocco, north of Meknes, on whose hillside is the town "Moulay Idris Zarhona", called after Moulay Idris I, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty, who was buried there in 791 AD. Since the whole town of Moulay Idris is considered a sanctuary, it pays no taxes, and provides no soldiers. Non-Muslims are allegedly forbidden within the village after dark. This is plausible, considering the lack of lodging.

Near the Zerhoun range are the ruins of Volubilis, or Pharaohs Castle, once the Roman capital, and the first home of Idris I. It was settled by Phoenicians or Carthaginians prior to the conclusion of the Punic Wars, when it was annexed by Rome. (Hogan, 2007) After the withdrawal of Rome, Christian Berbers continued to inhabit Volubilis until the seventh century AD.(Bidwell, 2005) Volubilis has been designated as a World Heritage Site.

See also

• Bou Assel
• Meknès-El Menzeh

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• C. Michael Hogan (2007) Volubilis, The Megalithic Portal, edited by A. Burnham
• Margaret Bidwell and Robin Bidwell (2005) Morocco: The Traveller's Companion, Tauris Parke Publishing, 326 pages, ISBN-10: 1845111079