Jewish cemetery, Marrakesh
Cemetery in Morocco
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Miâara Cemetery (Hebrew: בית הקברות מערה) is the Jewish Cemetery of the city of Marrakesh, Morocco. It is the largest Jewish cemetery in the country.[1]
| Jewish Cemetery of Marrakesh | |
|---|---|
The cemetery in the 21 century | |
 Interactive map of Jewish Cemetery of Marrakesh | |
| Details | |
| Established | 15th century |
| Location | |
| Country | Morocco |
| Coordinates | 31°37′N 7°59′W |
| Size | 2,800 dunams |
| No. of graves | over 20,000 graves |
History
The Jewish cemetery of Marrakesh is known in Hebrew as Bet Moʿed leQol Ḥai (Hebrew: בית מועד לכל חי) or Miʿara (Hebrew: מערה), named after the street where the entrance is located.[citation needed] This is the ancient cemetery of Marrakesh Jewry. It is believed the area was used for burial of Jews since as early as the 12th century.[2]
Among the rabbis of the generation who are buried there are Pinchas HaCohen, who is said to have saved the life of Thami El Glaoui,[3] Shlomo Tammuzat, Abraham Azulai, and Rabbi Hanania HaCohen.[4]
Description
The cemetery is one of the largest in the country, covering approximately 2,800 dunams.[citation needed] It is adjacent to the Mellah of Marrakesh. The cemetery has over 20,000 graves.[5] It has separate sections for men, women and children, as per Jewish tradition, a Jew cannot be buried next to a person of the opposite gender that is not their spouse. Its left corner dedicated to around 6,000 children who died during a typhus epidemic in the 19th century.[citation needed] The tombs of the kohanim are painted in blue and located by its entrance.[citation needed] The cemetery has become an attraction for tourists and for Jews from all over the world, including Israelis of Moroccan origin.[6][5] It is maintained by the Jewish community and by a guard who is there 24 hours a day.[7]
The cemetery has several mausolea, including those of some famous Moroccan rabbis, like Abraham Azoulai and Rabbi David Hazan. Most of the mausolea are located on its perimeter.[1]