Written by Mathias Ghyoot and Athina Pfeiffer (2025)

INtroduction

The Allal al-Fasi Foundation is located in Rabat, in the former home of Moroccan nationalist leader Allal al-Fasi (d. 1974). The Foundation hosts events and supports research related to his life and work. For more, check the official website. The Foundation also houses al-Fasi’s personal library and archives, alongside several private collections of prominent Moroccans that were donated to the Foundation. These include the libraries and archives of Ahmed Benani, Khnata Bennouna, ʿAbd al-Hadi Dayuri, and Mohammed al-Tazi.

The Foundation’s library holds a large collection of printed and rare books, private correspondence, magazines, and about 800 manuscripts.

The library is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, though staff typically start closing up around 4:30pm.

Location: Google Maps

GOING THERE

You’ll find the Foundation in the al-Souissi neighborhood on Avenue Mohammed VI, right across from the U.S. Embassy. There’s a bus stop for line 8 directly in front of the entrance.

GETTING IN

When you arrive, go through the main gate and into the Foundation’s main building. The office of the director, Mr. al-Mukhtar, is immediately on the right. If he’s not there, he’s usually to be found in one of the library rooms across the hallway. Expect to be welcomed, asked about your research interests, and introduced to the head librarian, Mr. Amin al-Najjar. He’ll give you a tour of the house, after which you’ll likely be seated at the large table in the Researcher Room.

Finding your material

Manuscripts

The Foundation has a four-volume catalog of its manuscripts, organized by theme. You can either consult the volumes on-site or download them online. The title of the catalog is al-Fihris al-mujaz li-l-makhtutat Muʾassasat ʿAllal al-Fasi.

Books and Periodicals

Books and periodicals constitute the largest collection of the Foundation. There is no online catalog, but the staff has access to an on-site digital and searchable catalog that contains most of the holdings of the Foundation. However, the stacks (both on the ground and the first floors) are neatly categorized in both theme and language (Arabic, English, and French), and apart from a periodicals room on the first floor, you’ll find the books scattered across the rooms of the Foundation. Do be mindful and ask the staff for permission to browse the stacks in advance.

Archives

The Foundation also holds the private documents (letters, memos, and speeches) of Allal al-Fasi. These are stored on-site, but are not readily available. You’ll have to make a good case for viewing specific documents. Luckily, however, the vast majority of them has been edited and published in three volumes (the third and last volume is due to be released in late September 2025). The three volumes are all for sale at the Foundation.

Ordering your material

Manuscripts

Mr. Amin will give you a request form to fill out with your personal information along with the shelfmarks and titles of the manuscripts you’d like to see. Each form has space for three items. If you need more, just ask a librarian for another form. There’s no daily limit on the number of manuscripts you can request, but they’ll be brought out one at a time. When you finish with a manuscript, return it to Mr. Amin or to one of the librarians stationed in the Manuscripts Room, located on the ground floor at the back of the main stacks.

Books and Periodicals

To order books and periodicals, please approach the staff and let them know about your research interests. You can give them specific titles and authors that they can search for you in the onsite catalog, or broader research topics. You can also ask permission to venture into the stacks yourself, whether that be for the sake of exploring a specific subject matter or the Periodicals Room located on the first floor. If you’re requesting books, you’ll most likely be seated with the material in the Researcher Room. If, on the other hand, you wish to look at periodicals, you’ll be seated upstairs in the Periodicals Room.

Ordering scans

You’re free to take pictures of the material with your phone. If you’d like the library to provide scans of manuscripts, the cost is 4 MAD per page for employees and 3 MAD per page for students.

Food and well-being

Since there’s no café, restaurant, or mini-market nearby, it’s a good idea to bring a bottle of water with you. If you plan to stay the whole day, don’t forget to bring a lunchpack. If that is not an option, you’ll have to go for a 20 min. walk to the nearest Supermarket.