Archive

Old Jewish Cemetery, Essaouira, Morocco

Description

Background on the Mellah of Essaouira

Essaouira was established by Alaouite Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdellah in 1764 on the site of a former Portuguese fortress. [1, 2] It quickly became a major domestic and international trading post, attracting many Jewish merchants, traders, and workers. [3, 4] In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Essaouira was home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the country. At one point, Jews made up about 40 percent of Essaouira’s population, growing so much that an addition to the mellah had to be built to accommodate them. [5, 6] 

Mellahs, separate Jewish quarters, were established in multiple cities by an 1807 Sultan-issued dahir (decree). [7] Before then, Jews and Muslims lived together in the neighborhoods of Essaouira. [8] The name mellah comes from the salt marsh area in Fez where the first mellah was created. [9] Following the decree, poorer Jews populated the mellah while elite Jewish families resided in the casbah quarter outside the mellah walls. [10] The separation of casbah and mellah generated tensions between elite and lower-class Jews. [11] In Essaouira, “division was really a division of class and not of religion,” with intermarriage being widely acepted and places of worship were even shared amongst Muslims and Jews. [12]

Today, only a handful of Jews remain in Essaouira. [13] One of the reasons for this is the impact of French Protectorate (1912-1956), during which the French  developed Casablanca and Agadir as seaports, limiting economic opportunities in Essaouira and incentivizing migration to larger hubs [14, 15]. Another, larger, exodus took place following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, after which only about 2 percent of the Jewish population remained. [16, 17] 

The Jewish quarter of Essaouira stands as a testament to the significant role of Jewry in the development of one of Morocco’s major port cities. Many sites of historical significance, including synagogues and old Jewish businesses, have been demolished or otherwise dilapidated over time. [18] Current Essaouira residents and others work to preserve remaining sites and redevelopment efforts are underway. [19, 20, 21] 

Old Jewish Cemetery

History: The older of the two Essaouira cemeteries faces the Atlantic coast and was used up until the 18th century, when the rapid growth of the Essaouira Jewish community necessitated the newer second cemetery. Prominent figures of Essaouira’s Jewish community are buried here, including Rabbi Haim Pinto, a notable sage and miracle worker whose mausoleum serves as a pilgrimage site. [22]  Visits to the Old Cemetery and others like it are prominent parts of cultural tourism today in Morocco by the Jewish community abroad. [23]

Current Preservation Efforts: Asher Knafo, the great grandson of the Rabbi Yoseph Knafo of Essaouira, transcribes the inscriptions of the tombstones designed by David Elkaïm, a well-known stone mason and poet of the town. In the exhibition space of Bayt Dakira, there is a picture of David Elkaïm. During a visit to Bayt Dakira, Essaouira resident Sidney Corcos explains why Elkaïm is an important figure - he was not only a Rabbi but also an artist and known for drawing ketubahs, marriage certificates, which he decorated beautifully. Elkaïm also wrote his poetry in Hebrew long before the state of Israel was created and the language was revived. Some of his poems can be found on the tombstones in these cemeteries. According to Sidney, Elkaïm is slowly being recognized as a significant Hebrew poet, also because of the texts he wrote about Palestine, maintaining the connection between Morocco and the Holy Land. [24]

Essaouira, Morocco

© Mapbox, © OpenStreetMap

Gallery

‹ › ×