Jewish Quarter of Essaouira

Jewish Quarter of Essaouira It communicates the updates of the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira throughout the World Monument Watch 2018 cycle. Welcome.

The crumbling Jewish Quarter in the port town of Essaouira is a symbol of the plurality of Moroccan culture. Essaouira was established in the mid-eighteenth century by Alaouite Sultan Ben Abdellah on the site of a sixteenth-century Portuguese fortress. It quickly became a major trading post between Africa and Europe. During that period, the Jewish Quarter, Mellah, was established to extend the sul

tan’s protection to the Jewish inhabitants. Making up 40 percent of the city’s population, the thriving Jewish community made part of Moroccan society, and the Mellah played an important role in Essaouira’s economic development. Essaouira has long been a symbol of tolerance. During the French Protectorate, Essaouira ceased being a major trading post, forcing many families to migrate to bigger cities. After the founding of Israel, the Mellah lost around 98 percent of its population, and after 1980s, the Jewish community abandoned the area after centuries of occupation. A hybrid of Moorish and Art Deco architecture including residential buildings, more than a dozen synagogues, a Talmud school, and other buildings are the only physical evidence of centuries of Jewish presence in Essaouira. Some structures remain abandoned, crumbling or demolished due to safety concerns, while others have been converted into boutique shops and hotels, with little regard to the history of the area and the architecture. Rehabilitation and redevelopment takes place in a piecemeal fashion, addressing individual buildings and not the area as a whole, and often incorporating invasive materials. The history of the Mellah as a haven for religious plurality is being lost and forgotten. The Jewish Quarter has become a pilgrimage site for many former residents and descendants of Moroccan Jews, who visit the city in increasing numbers each year. Part of the 2001 World Heritage inscription of the Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador), the Mellah is also the focus of a local initiative to revitalize the city as a major tourism destination. There is an urgency to document and tell the story of Essaouira’s Jewish Quarter and the role it played in the city’s cultural and religious plurality before it is forgotten. The 2018 World Monuments Watch calls for the documentation and interpretation of the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira as a symbol of the peaceful coexistence between religions to contribute to intercultural and interreligious dialogue to fight intolerance.

22/10/2020

Some of the work of the last few years has been published on Diarna - The Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life at the beginning of this year. Take a look.

Khalil during the photography workshop during the of the World Monuments Fund 2018 list
18/03/2019

Khalil during the photography workshop during the of the World Monuments Fund 2018 list

at the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira. It has been two exciting and cheerfull days in Essaouira.World Monuments Fund
16/03/2019

at the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira. It has been two exciting and cheerfull days in Essaouira.
World Monuments Fund

Watch Day at the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira (Mellah) The Jewish Quarter of the Essaouira is part of the 2018 World Monuments Watch. The Mellah of Essaouira ...

The first day of was such a beuatiful experience for staff and children alike. We roamed the Jewish Quarter of Essaoui...
15/03/2019

The first day of was such a beuatiful experience for staff and children alike. We roamed the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira singing and jumping. We loved how people smilled to us and sang with us and aproached askig. We introduced the children to an other side of . For the first time in their life they stepp into a synagogue and know about . They showed high enthusiasm and learned it includig the falling parts, which they decided to rebuild in their recycling and painting workshop. We rebuilt the Mellah and we are looking forwards to the next day to tell the story of what we rebuilt today.
World Monuments Fund


Amine Bennour @ Essaouira

Essaouira and the Mellah are busy, rehabilitation work is happening around the site and we wanted to share some new pict...
14/03/2019

Essaouira and the Mellah are busy, rehabilitation work is happening around the site and we wanted to share some new pictures with you. If you take a good look at the row of houses leaning against the wall, you will notice the gap - let’s make sure that gap doesn’t get any bigger. Tomorrow is !
World Monuments Fund

It has been a wonderful journey implementing a documentation project about the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira. Two years we...
11/03/2019

It has been a wonderful journey implementing a documentation project about the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira. Two years went by pretty fast and we are nearing a wrap up. This project aimed at increasing the visibility of the site has been made possible by World Monuments Fund.
The Jewish Quarter od Essaouira has been suffering decay and abandonment in silence which is leading to the deterioration of a site that catalyses the memory of the Jewish community of Essaouira and the plural identity of Morocco.
We are happy to transmit what we have learned about this site to 20 chilldren from the town in the hope of planting a seed of care that one day would grow to hold dear an important historic site. We also aim at raising attention for immediate, action to save this beautiful site.
Our is ready; stay tuned!

03/01/2019

Come with us to the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira known localy as Mellah.

World Monuments Fund Presents Venturing into the Mellah’s Past Yousef El Miadi and Laura Brandt met while pursuing their master’s in World Heritage Studies at Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. A joint project led Yousef and Laura to nominate the Jewish Quarter of Essaouir...

22/10/2018

Share Blog Important emblems of Jewish life in North Africa October 20, 2017 | by Stephanie D. Ortiz On October 16, we were thrilled to announce the 2018 World Monuments Watch, our biennial effort to elevate citizen-led conservation initiatives to a global stage. Each of the 25 sites on the 2018 Wat...

follow our blog posts on the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira, Mellah. The Mellah of Essaouira was nominated for the World Mo...
30/08/2018

follow our blog posts on the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira, Mellah. The Mellah of Essaouira was nominated for the World Monumnet Watch 2018 list.

Share Blog Important emblems of Jewish life in North Africa October 20, 2017 | by Stephanie D. Ortiz On October 16, we were thrilled to announce the 2018 World Monuments Watch, our biennial effort to elevate citizen-led conservation initiatives to a global stage. Each of the 25 sites on the 2018 Wat...

03/04/2018
Rooftop view from
31/03/2018

Rooftop view from

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