| Jewish Cemetery of Marrakech | |
|---|---|
 The cemetery in the 21 century | |
 Interactive map of Jewish Cemetery of Marrakech | |
| Details | |
| Established | 15th century |
| Location | |
| Country | Morocco |
| Coordinates | 31°36′58″N7°58′31″W / 31.61611°N 7.97528°W /31.61611; -7.97528 |
| Size | 2,800dunams |
| No. of graves | over 20,000 graves |
TheMiâara Cemetery (Hebrew:בית הקברות מערה) is the Jewish Cemetery of the city ofMarrakesh, Morocco. It is the largest Jewish cemetery in the country.[1]
The Jewish cemetery of Marrakesh isBet Moʿed leQol Ḥai (Hebrew:בית מועד לכל חי) orMiʿara (Hebrew:מערה) after the street where the entrance to the cemetery is located,Taoulat El Miara, was founded in the 15th century, although it is believed the area was used for burial of Jews since as early as the 12th century.[2] This is the ancient cemetery of Marrakesh Jewry where all the righteous of the generation for their generations are buried. Among the rabbis of the generation who are buried there are Pinchas HaCohen, who is said to have saved the life ofThami El Glaoui,[3]Shlomo Tammuzat,Abraham Azulai, and Rabbi Hanania HaCohen.[4] 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. The cemetery has become a tourist site visited by thousands of Jews from all over the world come, including manyIsraelis of Moroccan origin.[5][6]
The cemetery is one of the largest in the country, covering approximately 2,800dunams and it is located next to theMellah of Marrakesh. The cemetery has over 20,000 graves, with its left corner dedicated to around 6,000 children who died during a typhus epidemic in the 19th century; the tombs of thekohanim are painted in blue and located by its entrance[6] The cemetery is maintained by the Jewish community and by a guard who is there 24 hours a day.[7]
The cemetery has severalmausolea, including those of some famous Moroccan rabbis, like Abraham Azoulai and Rabbi David Hazan. Most of the mausolea are located on its perimeter.[1]
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