Moroccan Jewish History

Although we were aware that there was Jewish history in Morocco (not least because Shana's cousin is married to a Moroccan Jew), we were surprised and impressed both by how extensive the history is, and how well maintained Jewish sites are, especially considering that today the Jewish population is estimated at only 1,000 (at its peak, the Jewish population of Morocco was over 300,000). Every tour we took mentioned Jewish history at least in passing.

Our first introduction to Moroccan Jewish history was at the Jewish Museum in Marrakech, which is in the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter of the city. There we saw both the Slat Al Azama Synagogue (opened in 1492) along with a number of exhibits around the site's lovely garden.

From the amazing photos of the exhibits, we learned that Jews originally arrived in Morocco after the destruction of the First Temple in 587 B.C.E. The Jews who arrived then lived among the native Imazighen peoples who sometimes themselves converted to Judaism. More Jews arrived with the expansion of the Roman Empire to what is now Morocco with gravestones containing Hebrew found at Volubilis.

After the Islamic takeover of Morocco, the status of Jews varied depending on the ideas of the ruling dynasty. Nonetheless, Jews continued to live throughout the country, and after the expulsion of Jews from the Iberian Penninsula in 1492, the Jewish population of Morocco swelled.

The Jewish cemetary in Marrakech is very large and very different than what we think of as a Jewish cemetary with elevated, stone grave markers.

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We were somewhat surprised to see that there had even been a synagogue in the tiny village of Ait Ben Hadou.

In Essaouira, which had a large Jewish population, we saw two of the three synagogues in the city. In the Haim Pinto Synagogue (left photo below), the old woman who is the caretaker indicated to us that she was connected to the history of the synagogue, perhaps the daughter of its last rabbi (she did not speak English and our French is not good enough for us to have gotten details). 

We also visited the Bayt Dakira Synagogue (right photo below) along with a school whose caretaker showed us a list of Jewish students from the 1960-61 school year. Later in the 1960's, many of Morocco's Jews moved to Israel, and the school closed. Today, the Moroccan Jewish community in Israel numbers between 500,000 (2019 census) and 1,000,000 (estimate of the World Federation of Moroccan Jews). 

Bayt Dakira also houses a modern Jewish Museum with fantastic photos and artifacts from the history of Moroccan Jewery. A small library contains many books about Judaism, some of which we recognized from Shana's father's vast collection.

Although most cities contained Jewish sites, including large cemetaries, the only other synagogue we visited was the Aben Danan Synagogue in Fes, which we visited with our guide. He explained that during the Islamic period, the Jewish quarter (mellah) was often near the Palace as the Jewish population sought the protection of the reigning monarch.

As we were in Morocco during Passover, various sites were closed. We very much enjoyed learning about the extensive Jewish history of this majority-Muslim nation, especially as it relates to the history of the Jews of the Iberian Penninsula. 

Our final Morocco post coming soon.

Jeff and Shana

Chefchaouen: Morocco's Blue City

Chefchaouen is a city in the Rif Mountains that is known for the blue color of many of the buildings in its Medina. Although Chefchaouen has a long history (founded in 1471), there is not really a lot to see there other than the city itself. We decided on a short stop, and given the beauty of the city and the surrounding mountains, we were glad we did, even though the weather was rainy and gray.

The main square of the Medina, which is surrounded by the Kasbah (the original fortress of the town) and the great Mosque, is beautiful and a popular place to hang out.

As usual for Moroccco, the fountains in the city are impressive (note the unusual octagonal minaret in the background).

The best part of the city is seen just walking through the narrow lanes and stairs of the Medina, where various forms of art (both for sale and not) proliferate.

We can only imagine how different it would be on a sunny day.

This may be our favorite picture from Chefchaouen, taken from the window of our adorable riad. These three young boys were clearly using the riad's wifi to play video games on their devices. They were there for hours.

Coming next, a post about the history of Judaism in Morocco, which we found to be fascinating.

Ciao,

Jeff and Shana

Fes: An Ancient Capital Still Thriving

Fes is considered by many to be the most “authentic” Moroccan city. And while I’m not sure what that means considering the diverse set of cities we visited, it is a very special place. Fes is known as the “cultural and spiritual center” of Morocco because it is ancient (founded in the 8th century), features the oldest continuously functioning institute of higher education – the University of al-Qarawiyyin founded in 857, and its entire medina (old walled city, Fes el Bali) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The medina is labyrinthian, and although it is chaotic and overwhelming, it is a bit calmer than Marrakech because it is one of the world’s largest urban car free zones. We stayed at a beautiful riad just outside the medina that was a tranquil oasis from the hustle and bustle outside the door. The riad was clearly the owner’s passion project and no detail was left in doubt, plus his guests’ comfort was the highest priority.

The choice to spend our first day in Fes with a guide, Mohammed, was validated as he efficiently led us through both old and new Fes, gave us a full history of the city, answered all our questions, and ensured we saw all the highlights.

We started in the newer area, Fes el Jdid, where the Marinid dynasty reestablished Fes as the capital city in 1250, and where the current royal palace is built on the foundations of the Marinid’s royal citadel from 1276.

Of course, the public can’t enter any of the palace sites in Morocco. But we could enjoy Jnan Sbil, a large city garden.

The walls around the medinas are well-maintained in many cities, including Fes, even though their main protective function is obsolete. We entered the old city through Bab Boujloud, aka the Blue Gate.

No detail was too small for Mohammed, who is quite the Renaissance man. We saw one thing we had never seen before – live chickens in small bins waiting for slaughter. We are used to seeing whole sides of beef, etc., but we could not recall ever seeing live chickens in any of the many markets we’ve been to, even in Asia.

We visited Bou Inania Madrasa and Al Attarine Madrasa, both date from the 14^th century (Fes’s golden age) and are some of the finest examples of intricate and traditional Moroccan architecture and design but also represent the historical intellectual and cultural significance of Fes, where many students were educated. (The photos are only from Bou Inania.)

What makes Fes exceptional is the number of artisans who are working in the same manner as their ancestors, from wooden crafts, to carpets, to copper pots. The best example of old school techniques is the Chouara Tannery, one of three tanneries still within the city walls despite the strong stench. It is believed that there have been tanneries in Fes since its foundation. The jobs at Chouara are still handed down generationally.

After our day with Mohammed, we enjoyed our time at the Dar Batha Museum of Islamic Arts, which gave us an opportunity to absorb and get more context for the information he had given us. Housed in a converted palace, we especially liked the excellent timeline display of Morocco’s dynasties, but also appreciated the many cultural and scientific artifacts on display. Jeff barely fit through the doors between sections.

Fes is a place to get lost and wander, keeping your eyes and ears open to appreciate everything that’s happening around you.

Still more to come from our Morocco trip,

Shana & Jeff

Volubilis

Volubilis is an amazing ruined city about five kilometers from Moulay Idriss. Its origins are Berber and it may have been the capitol of the Kingdom of Mauretania around the time of King Juba II (25 B.C.E. to 23 C.E.) Later, it grew significantly under Roman rule from the first century, but fell to local tribes around 285, and was never recaptured given its position on the edge of the then-failing empire. The city continued to be inhabited for the next 700 years, first by Latinized Christians, and later as an Islamic settlement. It was the initial seat of power of the Idrissid dynasty starting in the late 8th century, but by the 11th century, the seat of power moved to Fes, and the remaining citizens moved to the nearby, new city of Moulay Idriss leaving Volubilis abandoned.

Not surprisingly, the ruins are primarily from the Roman era, and include amazing mosaic floors (even the local cats are impressed).

The site is impressively large, and you can see where the major avenues in the city were based on the columns.

In addition, Volubilis was important enough to have large public buildings such as a basillica, a temple and a triumphal arch.

There were many other interesting things to see at the site, including amazingly balanced arches, unusual twisted columns and fantastic views both of Moulay Idriss and the surrounding countryside.

Volubilis was one of our favorite sites in Morocco. We enjoyed walking among the ruins despite the gray and cloudy day, especially since it was not overrun with tourists. 

More to come from the ancient (but still existing) city of Fes.

Jeff and Shana

Meknes & Moulay Idriss

Spending 3 weeks in Morocco allowed us to explore a few less-frequented destinations, like Meknes, Moulay Idriss, and Volubilis, all of which sit between Rabat and Fes. We arrived in Meknes from Rabat by train, which was comfortable and easy enough. Meknes is one of four Moroccan imperial capitals, the others are Fes, Marrakesh and Rabat. Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became the capital for 63 years during the reign of Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif (1672-1727), the second ruler of the Alaouite (current) dynasty and the longest reigning Moroccan monarch.

Sultan Ismail was quite the builder, creating a large, fortified city with beautiful gates.

We visited his mausoleum, which was beautifully decorated.

We were impressed by the damascene artisans’ work we saw outside the mausoleum, who use silver, as opposed to gold, which is used in Toledo’s similar workshops. The view from our riad’s rooftop of the Grand Mosque’s minaret was outstanding.

The remains of the city’s historic granaries, water storage basins and royal stables show the scale of what the sultan created in a relatively short period.

There is still a royal palace in the city that is an occasional residence for the current king. Just outside the mausoleum is the Royal Golf Club, which is built within the walls of the palace and is the only enclosed golf course in Africa. As you can see, arched gates are ubiquitous in Morocco.

From Meknes we were able to visit Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, which is considered Morocco’s holiest city, and the ruins of Volubilis (next post). Moulay Idriss, which was founded in 789, was closed to non-Muslim visitors until 1912. It is famous for being the site of the tomb of Idris I, a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohommed and the founder of the first Islamic dynasty – the Idrissids, who are considered the forefathers of Morocco as a modern independent Islamic state -- specifically independent from the eastern Islamic powers.

Moulay Idriss is a small town that is very colorful. It is nestled on the slopes of Mount Zerhoun. While we didn’t spend a lot of time there, it was still memorable. We wandered up, down and around with the help of an entrepreneurial local who served as our guide. We could peer into the tomb site as only Muslims are allowed to enter. The city also features the only cylindrical minaret in Morocco, which is covered in green mosaic tiles.

From there we wound our way through the steep alleys to get to the Grande Terasse, a panoramic view of the town’s rooftops.

Much of the town is painted green, a color associated with paradise in Islam. It was very pretty, especially as the day was cold and gray.

More soon,

Shana & Jeff