Nefta - Marabout of Sidi Bou Ali

The most important marabout and place of pilgrimage in the oasis is the Marabout of Sidi Bou Ali, reached on a narrow road which branches off the main road to the frontier opposite Avenue Esslim (to the east of the Hotel Marhala) and runs south into the oasis. The marabout is dedicated to a Moroccan holy man who came to Nefta in the 13th century to settle a serious religious dispute which had almost led to a schism. He died in Nefta and was buried at the place where he had been teaching. The tomb (not open to non-Muslims) has a beautifully decorated burial chamber and prayer hall with a plaster stalactitic ceiling. On the northern edge of the oasis, opposite the Mosque of Sidi M'Khareg, is a cafe.