Safi: a heritage city to discover in Morocco
1/ The history of Safi
The French historian BERGET, believes that this city bears the name of the greatest saint of KANAAN in this case ASSAFI and this, in the 12th century BC whenthe KANAAN refugees settled there. According to AL BAKRI, the word SAFI is of Berber origin which means ASSIF (watercourse). Indeed the city of SAFI is crossed by the Chaâba wadi.
The Hebrew version specifies that Safi is derived from the word assif which can be detailed as follows:
The verb ASSAFA means: to gather
The name ASSAFI means: the assembly, the council….
Simon Levy reported in his book “the Jewish community of Safi-history of the province of Safi” that this name refers to the assembly of the Jewish community in Safi, Timoule Abdelkader goes far in saying that the city had long been “a Jewish city” and that Islamization took time to exist there, this leads us to give an overview of the history of the Jews in Safi. A fanciful anecdote reported by the medieval geographer Al Idrissi speaks of 7 young Andalusians who left on an expedition in the “sea of darkness” (Atlantic Ocean). After several days of sailing, they anchored off a bay and having learned of their failure to cross the Atlantic, one of them would have cried out “Wa Assafi” (What a regret!)
Under the command of Oqba Ibn Nafii, the Muslim light cavalry reached Morocco
bringing the new religion. Legend has it that the Muslim leader stopped near Safi, advanced on his mount, feet in the water of the Atlantic, recognizing the only barrier to his conquest in the name of God. Before his return to the Levant, Oqba left a lieutenant to preach the good word. This is Sidi Chiker whose mausoleum is classified as national heritage.
Another man who marked the spiritual life of Safi is Sheikh Abou Med Saleh (1150-1234). It assisted the Pilgrims leaving Safi to the holy places of Islam, Mecca, Safi (Hadirat al Mouhit) or City of the surrounding sea, according to the expression of Ibn Khaldoun, ensured, as the port of the capital Marrakech of the Almohad empire in the 12th century, direct relations with Andalusia and was presented in the form of a highly urbanized space, equipped in particular, with important fortifications and a large central mosque, to which were attached numerous institutions. Made up of two urban entities, the city was enriched in the 14th century by a medersa, built by Aboul Hassan Al Marini, a hospital and many other institutions, a qaysaria, a mohtasseb, as Safi established itself as an important trading center which traded with Genoa, Seville, Marseille, and whose Jewish families played an important role at the end of the 17th century, Portuguese pressure increased, and led to the occupation of the city which lasted 32 years from 1509 until its recapture by the Saadians in 1541. Safi was then the main fortified Portuguese place for the control of the maritime region, extending to Marrakech. of which sections of the ramparts remain and especially the Château de mer finished in 1523 -The Caïd Aissa Ben Omar known for his cruelty pushed a faction of the Bhatra tribe -north (the Ouled Zid) to revolt. Put down in fire and blood, leaving 7000 victims. Which allowed him an exceptional celebrity of the great singer and militant poet kharboucha with her popular songs of the Aita sung until today.
– The discovery of phosphate deposits by Louis Gentil in the Gantour Region encouraged Resident General Lyautey to launch work on the port in 1923 of Safi which became a Municipality in 1917. The expansion of its facilities allowed the installation of a heavy industry of the OCP group.
– The feat of RAA 2 made it possible to demonstrate that the ancient civilizations that the African continent could have discovered the new world well before Christophe Colombe. Everyone still remembers the fantastic expedition of a team of eight men who left the port of Safi on May 17, 1970 aboard a raft made of PAPYRUS, built and imported from the Nile countries by Dr. THOR HEYERDAHL, proving that the ancient Egyptians were able to cross the ATLANTIC under the same conditions. This crossing of the ATLANTIC lasted 57 days, linking Safi (MOROCCO) to the island of BARBADOS (WEST INDIES) 2 over a distance of 6,200 km. The obvious interest of this fantastic ODYSSEY RAA 2 is to subject to experimentation a set of theoretical deductions relating to maritime navigation.
-An international team has unearthed remains of primitive Homo sapiens, dating
back to around 300,000 years ago, associated with stone tools and remains of fauna at Jbel Irhoud in the province of Youssoufia (Marrakech-Safi region), managed by the National Institute of Sciences of Archaeology and Heritage
2/ the great heritage of Safi
* The Sea Castle (Qsar El Bhar):
The “Sea Castle” built by the Portuguese in the 16th century was undoubtedly, at the same time as a fortress to defend and protect the northern part of the old port, the city and the Governor’s Residence. It was restored in 1963. Looking towards the North-West, there is a great view of the ocean, the old Medina, the R’bat Quarter, the Commercial and Fishing Port and finally the Cliffs.
* The Medina:
from the Place of independence, occupied by merchants in the morning and public entertainers in the evening, the Rue du Souk crosses the Medina to Bâb Chaâba (the gate of the valley). Occupied along its entire length by shops and craft workshops.Built in 1519 Having served as a Dead Bath (Hammam) for a long time, one can nevertheless admire its ribbed vault decorated with a cartouche with the arms of Portugal and eight medallions whose sculptures represent religious emblems and lordly arms. Leaving the chapel, continuing along the rue du Cadi Ayad, one ends in old Safi through picturesque alleys with numerous arcades. They lead to the ramparts that one follows internally to the southwest corner tower where one reaches the Place of independence. To the east of the ramparts, the Kechla, the old Portuguese fortress, overlooks the roofs of the Medina. Its monumental door opens onto a Mechouar (arms square).
* Dar Essoltan:
Built under the Almohads (12th-13th century) Its location,overlooking the medina of Safi and offering a view of the ocean, attests to its defensive role. This is why it was occupied by the Portuguese between 1508 and 1514 as evidenced by the coat of arms of King Emmanuel I, which can be seen on one of the towers of the citadel.
* The Potters’ Quarter:
The old potters’ quarter extends on the opposite slope, in the alleys that climb it, we can still see these Ovens and these Craftsmen’s Workshops that made the reputation of Safi pottery.
* The Ben Hamidouch Kasbat:
arriving at Dar Caîd Haji we see rising on the right the ruins of the Ben Hamidouch Kasbah “Kasbah of the Black Prince” (13th century). It is a large fortress that dates from Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727).
* The marabout of Sidi-Bouzid:
This marabout is located on the cliff (4kms north of Safi), at 120m altitude. From this point, we have an overview of the city, the port and the cliffs of the coast. In clear weather, we can see the peaks of the Atlas.
* The national museum of ceramics:
The Museum of Ceramics was created in 1990, in the Kachla (Portuguese fortress of the 16th century). It exhibits beautiful ceramic pieces, both traditional and modern, with shapes, colors and rich and varied decorative processes. (currently at the city of arts of Safi)
*The Jewish population of Safi:
It’s the largest one between 1942 and 1953, with 5,000 people, strongly organized around institutions such as the DEJJ, the Nautical Club,,,but how did their history begin???
in December 1496, when King Manuel I (1495-1521) ordered the expulsion of all Jews who lived in Portugal, or (the megorachim) The real cause of this fact would have been a Spanish demand when the Portuguese king claimed to marry Princess Isabella, and thus be able to access the Crown of Spain. It fits into a broader context of progress towards political unity, with the end of the process of Christian “reconquest” in the Iberian Peninsula,and the consolidation of two modern states: Spain and Portugal. This also meant at the time religious unity.
The same king who expelled them from the metropolis, grants them letters recognizing the legal existence of their social and religious status, thus allowing the existence of Judaism around 165,000 expelled from Spain and Portugal.
we find Safi Jewish families of Iberian origin bearing the names: Caballo, Moreno, Murciano,,,,, but also of Amazigh origin such as: Melloul, Amzallag Wizman,,,, others came from different Moroccan regions taflilat: Aflou, Draa: Darii, Souss: Bensoussan ,,,,Which shows a permanent migration of Jews across the kingdom.In Safi they managed a large part of the traditional economy which resulted in an increase in the number of trades in 111 in 1919 such as wheat trading,this shows this harmony and warmth of relations that they sought refuge in living next to their Muslim colleagues in the medina, a coexistence that gave birth to 20 religious synagogues including that of the Oulad Benzmirou.
3/ Cult of Jewish saints in Safi: the 7 holy brothers Benzmirou
The cult of saints among the Jews is a magnificent cultural characteristic it presents an obvious analogy with the maraboutic cults of Morocco in the presence of a harmonious and millennial coexistence of Jews and Muslims of Morocco, having recourse independently to the same phenomenon, and giving rise to uses it would be interesting to divide this definition where the real crosses thesupernatural into two nominations: the first is: the legend of the saints, the second is the manifestation of holiness.
The names of saints and words in Hebrew and Arabic have been transcribed except for certain common words such as Moul, Moulay, etc. For place names there is no transcription, the hagiographic imagination that gives birth to a saint figure is drawn according to the following paths: thaumaturgy, virtue, revelation by means of a dream vision, the execution of an extraordinary act upon their death, revelation of the saint by the presence of a column of fire or light. As for the families of Moroccan Jewish saints and miracle workers, we can cite: the Abihasria, the Pinto or the Ben-Barukh Ha-Cohen, sometimes the antecedent Oulad is added, which means “the sons” and when speaking of the oulad it is interesting to approach the Oulad Ben Zmirou The 7 Saints of Safi. Several transcriptions have interpreted the meaning of non Benzmirou as name noted in a letter from Saadian Sultan Moulay Ahmed laaraj addressed to the Portuguese king John 3 in 1525 one version claims that it comes from 2 Hebrew Aramaic words “zamar” = song, another claims that it comes from a place in Spain called Zmirou thus the origin of the family Benzmirou can be Andalusian the amazing history of this place of worship is closely linked to that of the city, a sanctuary that brings together not only the inhabitants but also the many visitors from all over the world, including Muslims. Nearly 5,000 Jewish pilgrims come from all over the world to celebrate Hilloula, a famous religious festival in memory of the 7 saints. In Jewish memory, the tomb of Ouled Ben Zmirou contains the remains of Abraham, in addition to his brothers and sons. On the epitaphs of their tombs, the following names have been noted:
Rabbi Abraham Sultan Rabbi Youssef Dalili Rabbi Messod Mimouna Rabbi Mimoun Benouaich; Abraham Ben Zmirou, a 15th century philosopher and poet, is said to have come from the Iberian Peninsula. He is said to have returned to Morocco to escape the Inquisition. After living in Fez in 1944, he would have settled in Safi. With his cultural and intellectual skills in Arab laws, Abraham would have quickly acquired notoriety and an image among the Jewish and Muslim populations. He negotiated for the Portuguese with the Ouattassi and the Saadians a mediator of excellence. The myth tells that the holiness of Abraham and his brothers and sons was realized when the earth swallowed them up. The land surrounding the tomb is strewn with rocks. The Jews whitewash them and burn candles there. Pilgrims believe that in the past, this place served as a cemetery. The Hilloula lasts 2 days and one night. Many people affected by illness stay there in the hope of recovering their health. It is mainly visited by women who want to have children or who want to get married. The legend of Ouled Ben Zmirou relates that the saints restored the use of his limbs to a paraplegic child. The latter was abandoned by his mother because of his infirmity. This child, a Muslim named Abdelkader, received from his benefactors the gift of curing all ills.
Conclusion
The cult of Moroccan Jewish saints, including that of the Benzmirou brothers in Safi, is characterized as a catalyst for the relationship of a local history of the past and attachment to the roots of an ideal patrimony and heritage a priori national, which unites Jews and Muslims in peace in truth universal which must be maintained by the actors concerned and for me approached as an infinite narrative perspective……why not??
