About fifty kilometres south of Tétouan, in the heart of the Jbala mountains, a small village clings to the slopes of Jebel Alam around the white-domed tomb of one of Morocco's most revered Sufi saints. Sidi Abdeslam ben Mchich (1140–1228) was the spiritual teacher of Abu al-Hassan al-Shadhili, founder of the Shadhiliya order — one of the great branches of Moroccan and Maghrebi Sufism — and his shrine on Jebel Alam has been a pilgrimage destination across the Islamic world for eight centuries. The sacred oak tree beside the tomb is part of the local tradition; pilgrims pray, circumambulate and tie votive cloth on its branches.

The village around the shrine is small and oriented to the pilgrim trade: a few cafés, modest lodging, a couple of shops selling religious texts and offerings. Non-Muslims are generally welcome in the village and in the shrine complex courtyard, but entry to the inner sanctuary is reserved for Muslim pilgrims. Dress modestly, keep voices low, and ask permission before photographing any pilgrim or worshipper — the site is an active religious centre, not a museum stop, and the moments around the shrine carry weight.

The annual moussem of Sidi Abdeslam takes place in late summer (dates shift by the Islamic calendar and local tradition), drawing thousands of pilgrims and Sufi brotherhoods with nightly dhikr ceremonies. It is one of the most atmospheric religious gatherings in northern Morocco but also the busiest time, and lodging needs arranging far ahead. Outside the moussem, spring and autumn are the cool mountain windows; the paved but winding road from the N-2 takes about ninety minutes from Tétouan one way. Low cars are fine in dry weather; after heavy rain, some stretches need care. Shared grand-taxis from Tétouan run the route.