JEWISH HERITAGE TOUR

Imperial Cities & South & Essaouira
12 Days / 11 Nights

Morocco/General information
Kingdom of Morocco

MOROCCAN MONARCHY & JEWS

JEWISH HOLY SITES

Day 1: Casablanca - Rabat (100km)

Arrival at Casablanca Airport and transfer for a sightseeing of the chief port, the financial, commercial and manufacturing center of the Country. Your first treat is a panoramic drive through the city of Casablanca to view the Royal Palace, the architecture of Place Mohamed V, Anfa, the residential area and explore the romantic beachfront with its world famous shops, restaurants and nightclubs. You will visit the famous Hassan II Mosque (exterior). Recently built, it is the largest in the world outside Mecca. Then you will visit the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) with its temples and synagogues such as Beth-El, the largest synagogue and an important community center.

The Jewish cemetery in the Mellah is open and quiet, with well-kept white stone markers in French, Hebrew and Spanish. Tomb Of Rabbi Eliahou .We will visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism of Casablanca; this is the first Jewish Museum in an Arab country.
The Museum of Moroccan Judaism is about 3 miles from the city center :It displays collections of religious books, costumes, artifacts reflecting the role that the Jewish community has had in Morocco. When fundamentalist bombers attacked properties and businesses in 2003 it sparked the country’s largest protest demonstration in history, marching under the banner “Jews and Muslims, we are all citizens, we are all Moroccans”. Website: www.casajewishmuseum.com Continue to Rabat for Overnight.

Day 2 : Rabat - Meknes Fez (220 km)

After breakfast visit of Rabat : the political capital of the Kingdom since 1912. Visit to the Kasbah of the Oudayas, the Great Mosque, the unfinished Hassan Tower ,the magnificent Mohammed V Mausoleum . (The Mausoleum also holds the tomb of King Hassan II, son of Mohammed V). Next , visit the Jewish quarter with its narrow lanes and colourful courtyards, the near-by Mellah has a beautiful synagogue just inside its gates,while the main synagogue is found a few blocks onward in the New City. You will drive past the ramparts and the walls of Mechouar that encompass the Royal Palace. Outside the city walls of Rabat, you will visit another walled city, the ancient ruins of Chellah, where Jews are believed to have lived during the time of the Phoenicians. You might be interested to visit the private Belghazi Museum. Three generations of the Belghazi family have amassed a vast collection of traditional Moroccan pieces, consisting of Andalusia, Jewish, and Islamic arts and crafts. Optional lunch.

Departure for Meknes .Travel through lush rolling hills studded with the fertile plains of ancient olive groves and vineyards . Known as Moroccan Versailles" Meknes was founded at the end of the 17th Century by Moulay Ismail, where the Jewish presence is evidenced by Hebraic epitaphs dating from the Christian era as well as Greek inscriptions that still appear in local Synagogues. You may wish to visit the aging Talmud Torah in the Jewish Quarter and the new Mellah. Visit the tomb of Rabbi David Benmidan, who was the "Patron of Meknes" and is another pilgrimage shrine and Rabbi Daoud Boussidan .In the new Mellah there are 11 synagogues of which eight are still in use today. Your journey will continue until you reach Moulay Idriss : the holiest Muslim site in all of Morocco. Afterward, you will visit the extensive ruins at Volubilis, once the Roman capital of North-western Africa, which is an archaeological site . Arrival at Fez in the evening & overnight in Fez .

Day 3 : Fez

Breakfast at your hotel , The whole day will be devoted to the sightseeing of Fez, the oldest cultural and spiritual imperial city of Morocco, which was founded in 790 B.C by Moulay Idriss II. Spend a memorable morning taking a special look at the Jewish history and culture of traditional Morocco .Fez is among the best known cities in medieval Jewish history. Indeed, it was one the home of one of the most influential Talmudic scholars of all times, Rabbi Isaac Alfasi, as well as of Maimonides in the years 1160 to 1165 Highlights will also include the Mellah with all its Synagogues. Visit of Bhalil featuring the cemetery of Safroud where Rabbi Lahou Harroch and Rabbi Raphael Moshe Elbaz are buried. The Mellah of Fez is over 650 years old. This picturesque neighbourhood adjoins the Royal Palace, noted for its recently constructed bright brass doors. Jews took shelter in this palace during the 1912 pogrom.

The nearby cemetery contains the tombs of more Jewish saints than any other cemetery in Morocco. One of the more important saints is Lalla Solica.The Synagogue of Roben Ben Sadou ,built in the 1920's, is decorated with exquisite plaster carving reminiscent of the decoration of traditional mosques and medersas. Visit the recently restored Aben Danan synagogue .
In the afternoon we will explore Medieval Medina, the Medersas, the El Qaraouiyyin Mosque, Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II the founder of Fez in the ninth century who encouraged the Jews to move to Fez and the sumptuous Nejjarin fountain, Then we will visit countless souks and the famous tanneries . Overnight in Fez

Day 4: Fez - Midelt- Erfoud (500 km)

After breakfast, You will leave Fez and its magnificent history heading to the magical south of the Morocco. In some small villages in the south, You will come across Jewish Heritage as quite good numbers of the Jews used to live all over the south of Morocco in co-existence with the local Berbers of the area. You will leave through the scenic Middle Atlas Mountains and charming cities of Ifrane and Azrou. The latter is very famous for its craftsmanship. Stop lunch in small town of Midelt, and continue south along the Ziz River until it finally dies out in the Sahara desert and you arrive at Erfoud. This town was the major Jewish population center of the Tafilelt, where Jews lived and financed the caravan trade with Sub-Saharan Africa from as early as the eighth century. Jews worked as merchants and artisans as late as the twentieth century. Highlights will include also the Jewish cemetery; it is sandy but otherwise well-preserved.

Day 5 : Erfoud - Rissani- Erfoud
OR Optional Excursions to Merzouga

OR : SEE BELOW THE 3 OPTIONS

1) Sunset and return to the Hotel

Erfoud is the gateway to one of the most beautiful natural sites in the world, the amazing dunes at Erg Chebbi. In the afternoon Arrival at your hotel where you change vehicles to a 4-wheel drive and departure over a track road (about 1 hour 15 mn) Arrive at the spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi which were featured in the film Lawrence of Arabia. The dunes are a majestic sight and you can spend as much time as you like walking among them as you witness the sunset. If you get too tired or seem to go too far, there are several camel drivers who will find you and bring you back! Return to your hotel for a late supper

2) 1 Night Bivouac at MERZOUGA DUNES

Bivouac Description

3) Camel Riding (Mehari)

Day 6 : SUNRISE at MERZOUGA DUNES
- Erfoud - Ouarzazate ( 350 Km)

Day 7: Ouarzazate - Marrakech (210 km)

Day 8 : Marrakech

After breakfast, we will have a full day city tour of Marrakech to discover its rich Jewish Heritage along with some other historical monuments of the city. Our city tour will include the former and current synagogues within the Mellah near which we will also find an original Jewish cemetery, several centuries old. The cemetery is now below ground-level, completely covered, and hidden by a second "generation" (level) of graves. The current cemetery, at ground level, dates back about 200 to 300 years. Our city tour of Marrakech will also include the defining landmark of the city, the 12th century tiled minaret of the Koutoubia. Next to it, the Saadian tombs and Menara garden. Later we will enjoy sometime walk around the famous Jemaa El Fna square with its snake charmers, fortune tellers and acrobats… Optional Dinner in a typical Moroccan restaurant with folklore show.Overnight in Marrakech.

Day 9 : Marrakech & Environs

Half Day Excursion to Ourika valley

30 km from Marrakech, this valley makes its way through the High Atlas Mountains, passing by a string of local villages then leading to the discovery of a small rivers, Lunch at local restaurant or under road along the valley is Setti –Fatima, famous for its seven waterfalls. Visit the tomb of Rabbi Shlomo, perched on the edge of a mountain above a river valley sits the 500 year-old tomb of an emissary from the land of Israel who died while on a fundraising trip in southern Morocco. The Rabbi Shlomo (Solomon) has been given the moniker “Bel-Hench” (“Son of the Snake”) and remains one of the most revered Jewish saints in Morocco, including by Muslims, who call him “Mul Asguine.” What makes his tomb even more remarkable is a living man who has resided there for over 30 years: Hananiyah Alfassi, the last Berber Jew in the Ourika Valley. Hannaniyah guards the rabbi’s tomb,

Day 10 : Marrakech – Essaouira (175km)

Visit of Essaouira. Formerly known as Mogador, the quaint fishing village has a Portuguese influence. Visit the bustling fish market, and the ramparts and bastions which served as the location for the Orson Welles film version of Othello. Visit the fortifications and the excellent factories which sell locally carved and polished thuya wood products. Today the town is considered a resort area and is known for windsurfing., but a generation ago there were thousands of Jewish inhabitants in the town. Even though today there are only a few families left you can visit the mellah where you can see the blue and white painted houses with the Stars of David above the doorways of former Jewish homes. Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Haïm Pinto died 1845. whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site. It is situated in the Mellah. The hiloula of Haïm Pinto is held in September. Tomb Of Rabbi David Attar. Overnight.

Day 11 :Essaouira /Safi/El Jadida/Casablanca (350 km)

Departure to Safi . Visit of the Portuguese Sea Castle, the Pottery's hill and the Jewish synagogue and Tombs of Ullad Zmirou. Optional lunch in Oualidia (Seaside resort) famous with its Oyster-Farming . Visit of Azemmour for Tomb of Rabbi Yhia El Khdar or Short visit of El Jadida once called “Mazagan” by the Portuguese and drive to Casablanca. Dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Casablanca / Departure

- Breakfast.
- Transfer to Casablanca airport .
- Assistance and flight back Home

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