Learn of the vibrant culture and religion of the Sufi people
Zawiyat El-Shadhuliyya A zawiya is not a mosque in the accepted sense of the word, but rather a place of retreat and communion for Sufi Sheikhs and their followers to study, pray, eat, and even stay overnight. The Shadhuliyya was one of the Sufi movements originating in Tunisia.
The founder of the Shadhuliyya in Akko, Sheikh Ali Nur el-Din el-Yashruti (also known as “el-Magrabi), was born in Bizerte, Tunisia, in 1793 (1208 according to the Hijra calendar, which begins with the emigration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina). The Sheikh claimed that the prophet Yunus (Jonah) appeared before him in a dream and ordered him to travel to Akko to spread his tariqa (lit. path, used to refer to Sufi brotherhoods).
Sheikh Ali Nur el-Din arrived in Akko in 1850. At first, he prayed and taught at el-Zeituna Mosque and subsequently, he built his own Zawiya in Tarshicha. In 1868, he built the large zawiya which stands in Akko to this very day. Zawiyat el- Shadhuliyya is located south of the fortress and west of the refectorium (dining room) of the Hospitallers. The zawiya stands on the ruins of the third tower of the Hospitaller Compound.
