At the Site of Sijilmasa: Archaeological Discoveries Reveal the Oldest Mosque and the First Evidence of Coin Minting in Morocco
The archaeological site of Sijilmasa in Rissani, located in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, has witnessed unprecedented discoveries carried out by the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage (INSAP) during 2024 and 2025. These findings unveil architectural, religious, and economic features dating back ten centuries, most notably the oldest documented mosque in Morocco and the first physical evidence of Sijilmasa dinar minting.
These excavations, covering an area close to 9,000 square meters of the city’s urban core, are part of efforts by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication to preserve and promote national heritage. The first phase of these operations was overseen by Professor Lahsen Taoucht, before being led by Professor Asmaa Qasimi alongside a fully Moroccan team.
The scientific results of these excavations, the largest since research began in Sijilmasa in the 1970s, have challenged several previous hypotheses and contributed to a clearer picture of the city’s religious, architectural, and economic life, established in the late eighth century.
The archaeological team has uncovered a religious complex that includes a large mosque spanning 2,620 square meters, capable of accommodating 2,600 worshippers, which dates back to the era of Abu Al-Muntasir Al-Yasʿ. The mosque has undergone several successive architectural phases, extending from the Idrisid era to the Alaouite period, making it the oldest documented mosque in the kingdom.
Excavations also revealed exceptional decorative elements from the Idrisid period, including geometric, floral, and epigraphic plaster finds that are the oldest in Morocco, as well as gilded wooden pieces from the Alaouite period that attest to a high level of decorative artistry and Islamic architectural style in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Among the most significant discoveries made by the research team was a ceramic mold containing traces of gold that was used for minting coins. This discovery is the first of its kind in Morocco and the second in Africa after the site of Tadmekka in Mali. It provides tangible evidence that Sijilmasa was a center for gold dinar production.
For the first time, a complete residential area from the 17th and 18th centuries has been uncovered, consisting of 12 houses built on the ruins of the old mosque. This area reflects organized urban planning, and artifacts extracted from its storage rooms provide detailed insights into dietary practices and lifestyles in a semi-desert environment.
These findings position Sijilmasa as a newly central site in the map of Moroccan and African heritage, revealing a transitional phase in the history of southern Morocco that connects the medieval city with the beginnings of the Alaouite state.
The National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage continues to conduct laboratory analyses on various other archaeological discoveries, with results expected to be announced later, likely deepening our understanding of Sijilmasa’s role in trans-Saharan economic and cultural exchanges.
