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Karaite Cemetery, Cairo, Egypt
There are two Karaite cemetery plots within the Bassatine Cemetery: those of the Lichaa and Menasha families, respectively. [1] In the mid-twentieth century when the majority of Jews fled Egypt following a series of conflicts between the state of Israel and its Arab neighbors, these private cemeteries, along with the rest of the Bassatine Cemetery, fell into disrepair. [2] For decades the centuries-old burial grounds were filled with squatters, garbage, and rubble. Between 2019 and mid-2020, the two Karaite portions of the cemetery were restored. [3] They now stand as a beautiful testament to the vast history of Egyptian Jewry.
Description
Bassatine Cemetery
The cemetery at the Mount of Olives in the Old City of Jerusalem is the only resting place that surpasses the Bassatine cemetery, just east of Old Cairo, in the list of the eldest Jewish cemeteries in the world. [4] The cemetery initially comprised 147 acres of land granted by Sultan Ahmed Ibn Tulun, founder of the Tulunid Dynasty of Egypt and Syria, but now makes up no more than 27 acres. [5, 6] While the original foundation deed dates back to the late 9th century, it was officially established by Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay in 1482 in response to requests to expand the Jewish cemetery in the overcrowded city of Fustat, Egypt's former capital. [7] Because of the limited space in Fustat, the Sultan provided land for a new cemetery in the Bassatine neighborhood in Cairo.
Restoration
Thanks to the joint efforts of the American Research Center in Egypt, the Drop of Milk Association, and the Karaite Jews of America, as well as an Ambassador Fund for Cultural Preservation grant from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, restoration of the desecrated burial grounds was undertaken in 2019 and completed in mid-2020. Among the repaired features are domed mausoleums, decorative metalwork, tomb markers, and plaques. Visitor information panels were added and the perimeter wall was restored in order to prevent vandalism. [8] With the help of a donation from the KJA, the ARCE was able to add a “Garden of Remembrance Honoring the Karaite Jewish Community of Egypt.” [9] The site is currently open to visitors.
Cairo, Egypt
© Mapbox, © OpenStreetMap
Sources
Notes
[1] Sally El Sabbahy, Liska Radachi, and Nicholas Warner, “Basatin: Reviving a Forgotten Past,” Scribe, Fall 2021, 7-8. https://www.arce.org/sites/default/files/documents/Basatin%20Feature.pdf.
[2] Ibid, 8.
[3] Ibid, 12.
[4] "Cairo," International Jewish Cemetery Project, Accessed June 29, 2017. http://iajgscemetery.org/africa/egypt/cairo.
[5] Ibid.
[6] El Sabbahy, Radachi, and Warner, 9.
[7] "The Historic Jewish Cemetery of Basatin in Cairo,” American Research Center in Egypt, 2020. https://www.arce.org/historic-jewish-cemetery-basatin-cairo.
[8] El Sabbahy, Radachi, and Warner, 11-12.
[9] Ibid, 12-13.
Works Cited
"Cairo." International Jewish Cemetery Project. Accessed June 29, 2017. http://iajgscemetery.org/africa/egypt/cairo.
El Sabbahy, Sally, Liska Radachi, and Nicholas Warner. “Basatin: Reviving a Forgotten Past.” Scribe. Fall 2021. https://www.arce.org/sites/default/files/documents/Basatin%20Feature.pdf.
“The Historic Jewish Cemetery of Basatin in Cairo.” American Research Center in Egypt. 2020. https://www.arce.org/historic-jewish-cemetery-basatin-cairo.