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Casbah of the Jews in Tamentit region, Algeria
One of the southern-most Jewish sites in Algeria, the "Casbah of the Jews" is a still-standing monument to the Jewish empire that once dominated this remote region of Algeria, known as Touat. The building is a desert fortress where Jewish merchants would store their wares to protect them from raiding nomads. Several of these fortified warehouses remain in the area surrounding the oasis of Tamentit, the one-time capital of the Touat empire. At least three of the fortresses are still identified by local residents as having been built and owned by Jews. Some locals refer to the site as "jmat il-yahoud" – the Jewish mosque.
Description
TOUAT: The Touat region is a complex of oases that stretches over 350 miles through the desert. A Jewish mini-empire began to develop in this region of the Sahara in the 6th Century, with fortified villages built surrounding watering holes. The central oasis of Tamentit – known as the "Jewish town" – once had 18 quarters and a complex system drawing water from wells to irrigate the area. Many Jews were farmers; others were merchants who dominated the gold trade; and others warriors. In fact, nomadic Jewish tribes – with roots going back over 2,000 years – could still be found in Algeria into the 20th Century.
DESTRUCTION: Tamentit was first besieged in 1437, but Muslims friendly to the Jewish community helped put down the assault. In 1490, the Jews of Tamentit and the Touat aroused the ire of Muslim faqīh (legal scholar) Muḥammad al-Maghīlī, who wrote a treatise in which he maintained that the Jews of Touat had violated their pact with the Muslims, and thereby forfeited the protection it afforded them, by not paying the jizya in a state of “abasement and humiliation” and by “rebelling against Islamic laws”. He also claimed that the existence of the Touat synagogue was contrary to Islamic law and demanded its destruction. Although the qāḍī of Tamentit opposed him, al-Maghīlī succeeded in inciting the tribes to destroy the synagogue and massacre the Jews in Tamentit and other settlements in 1492. Many were massacred, and survivors fled throughout the region. Some took shelter with the Tuareg (today three Tuareg tribes have clear Jewish roots), while others fled to towns further north like Ghardaya, Beni-Abbes, and El-Bayadh. Indeed, Algerian Jews with the last name "Touati" likely have roots in this once-great desert empire.
CASBAH TODAY: The "Casbah of the Jews" can be found just off the road by Tazoult and Admeur, set atop a rocky outpost. No doubt the location was selected for its panoramic view of the surroundings and elevation. The base level of the fort remains remarkably intact - while the top level has crumbled in the 500 years since its Jewish owners’ fled. The impressive desert redoubt stands as a monument to the Jewish merchants who once played a critical role in the Sahara's desert commerce.
Sources
Corcos, David. Encyclopaedia Judaica. "Tuat." 2nd ed. Vol. 20. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2587520081&v=2.1&u=mlin_m_wellcol&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=46393a1ab66123da37266d2d4467fe1a (accessed July 14, 2014).
Oliel, Jacob. Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. "Tamentit." s.v. http://0-referenceworks.brillonline.com.luna.wellesley.edu/entries/encyclopedia-of-jews-in-the-islamic-world/tamentit-SIM_0020920 (accessed July 14, 2014)
Oliel, Jacob. Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. "Touat." s.v. http://0-referenceworks.brillonline.com.luna.wellesley.edu/entries/encyclopedia-of-jews-in-the-islamic-world/touat-COM_0021460 (accessed July 14, 2014).
Special thanks to Jacob Oliel for identifying this site.