Shrine of Moulay Ighi at Zekarten, Morocco

Zekarten, Morocco

Tucked away in the middle of nowhere, miles from any main roads, the shrine complex of the rabbi known as Moulay Ighi (“Master of Ighi”) sits perched on a hilltop amidst the grandeur of the Atlas Mountains. For centuries, Jews (as well as Muslims) from all over Morocco would converge here on foot and on mules to visit the rabbi’’s tomb and pray for his intervention in their lives. The remote shrine is considered one of the most popular in the country, and by some accounts thousands of people would arrive for the annual hiloula (pilgrimage) to the grave on the holiday of Lag b’Omer. Today the shrine is still visited by pilgrims (though in smaller numbers), who can now stay in new guesthouses and even enjoy a modern synagogue on the premises.

Description

The Setting: Tourists and commuters speeding on the mountain pass between Marrakesh and Ouarzazate can easily miss the sharp turn off to the village of Zekarten in the valley below. But the adventurous traveler who makes the turn descends down into a largely unpopulated area of the Atlas Mmountains where a narrow road connects the sparse villages. In this valley, rural life for the local Amazigh (Berber) population appears to have changed little in the past few hundred years, with women in traditional dress washing laundry in them flowing water and men carrying supplies to their homes. After winding along the river for about 10km, another sharp turn by a small waterfall leads up to the top of hill. Towards the top, an archway marks the formal entrance to the shrine complex of Moulay Ighi. The complex, which mostly painted in terra cotta hues, includes a shrine for the rabbi, plus a small cemetery, synagogue, and guest houses. Originally the rabbi’’s grave was open to the elements. The covered mausoleum surrounding the tomb was built in 1990 by Albert Soussan in memory of his father.

Shrine of Moulay Ighi

The Saint: One of the most Arguably among the top ten most popular Jewish saints in Morocco, little factual evidence exists about Moulay Ighi. He is believed to be Rabbi David Laskar, who by legend came from Israel on a fundraising mission for religious academies in the Holy Land. A plaque inside the shrine claims Laskar died on August 22, 1717. Laskar was supposedly visiting the village of Zekarten, about 5 miles away, on his fundraising journey. He suddenly sensed his own death looming, and asked the local burial society members to follow him several kilometers to the hill. As the locals dug a grave at his request, he ritually cleansed himself in the river at the foot of the hill. He then ascended to the gravesite and commanded the earth to close around him. For people in the north who do not have the means or time to travel all the way to Ighi, there is a grave marker in the old Casablanca Jewish cemetery commemorating Rabbi Laskar.

The Pilgrimage: Hundreds and even thousands of Jews would descend upon the site during pilgrimages throughout the year, including on the holiday of Sukkot. Many would camp out around the site for several days, lighting candles by the saint’’s grave. In fact, Moulay Ighi is also known as Mul Shejra El-Khedra (“Master of the Green Tree”) after a bush near his grave that never caught fire despite the hundreds if candles lit by pilgrims. This plant was apparently myrtle (“imtik” in Moroccan Arabic) and shaded the stone marking the rabbi’’s grave. It was a common tradition to take a ritual bath in the river below the hill before ascending to the saint’’s shrine. The saint has a reputation for being able to help to cure barren women. In the 20th century, the site was run by Shlomo Bouskila, who is now buried in the small cemetery outside the saint’’s covered shrine. A new synagogue has been built on the site in memory of Shlomo and his wife Esther. Members of the Bouskila family today continue to administer the site, which is guarded daily by a Muslim caretaker. The shrine is venerated by Muslims as well, and local Muslim leaders have been known to attend the hiloula. There is even a legend that a former Muslim caretaker of the shrine had no sheep for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha (when it is customary to slaughter a lamb), but after appealing to the rabbi for help, he soon met a mysterious man on the road who gave him a sheep as a gift.

The Isolation: Some scholars debate the significance of the remote location of the saint’’s tomb, which is not convenient from to any major population center. One interesting theory posits that the more remote the shrine, the more followers could show their devotion by going to great lengths to commune with the saint. As the scholar observes, “inconveniences caused by the saint’’s geographical surroundings undoubtedly intensify the pilgrim’’s sense of purpose.”