ESSAOUIRA (Morocco), Jan 20 — In the old Jewish quarter of Morocco’s coastal city of Essaouira, a newly-opened “House of Memory” has been dedicated to the historic coexistence of its Jewish and Muslim communities. Nestled in a narrow alleyway among labyrinthine lanes, Bayt Dakira (House of...
Andre Azoulay, adviser to the Moroccan king, poses for a picture at the Bayt Dakira Jewish museum, in Morocco’s Atlantic coastal city of Essaouira December 14, 2019. — AFP pic
The restored building “testifies to a period when Islam and Judaism had an exceptional closeness, complicity and intimacy”, said Andre Azoulay, an adviser to King Mohammed VI. His daughter Audrey Azoulay, who is director-general of the UN cultural agency Unesco, was also present last Wednesday when the king made an official visit to the centre.Bayt Dakira showcases objects donated by local families alongside stories of members of the Jewish community from the southwestern city on the Atlantic.
Bayt Dakira also houses old photographs, archive footage, musical recordings, traditional dress and religious objects.At the time of Sultan Mohamed III, who in the 18th century transformed the small port into a diplomatic and commercial hub, Essaouira was “the only city in the Islamic world with a majority Jewish population”, the 78-year-old royal adviser says.
Many left after the creation of Israel in 1948, and the community now numbers around 3,000, still the largest in North Africa.
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