Morocco Oversees Renovation Work in Essaouira's Jewish Museum Bayt Dakira

Rabat - Morocco’s Youth, Culture, and Communication Minister, Mehdi Bensaid led a delegation that visited a number of projects pertaining to the renovation of Essaouira’s ancient city (Medina).

Rabat – Morocco’s Youth, Culture, and Communication Minister, Mehdi Bensaid led a delegation that visited a number of projects pertaining to the renovation of Essaouira’s ancient city (Medina).

The ministerial delegation first stopped at the renovation work underway at the ‘Skala’ port, then ‘Benfdir’ tower, the Portuguese church, and the ‘Shrib Atay’ Square.

The delegation wrapped up the tour with a visit to the Jewish museum ‘Bayt Dakira’ or the House of Memory, located in the city’s ‘Mellah,’ historically the neighborhood with the highest concentration of Jewish communities within Moroccan cities. The ‘Mellah’ in Essaouira is home to the ‘Slat Attia’ Synagogue.

Present at the visit was Morocco’s Minister of National Planning, Urban Planning, Housing, and Urban Policy, Fatima Zahra Mansouri, and senior advisor to King Mohammed VI and President of Soura Mogador association Andre Azoulay, Wali, and Amil of Essaouira region.

The Mellah neighborhood is also home to the ‘Haiim and Siliya Zaafarani’ international think tank, which is focused on the history of relations between Jews and Muslims, and a library holding a large collection on Jewish and Muslim civilizations.

Prior to the visit, Bensaid and Elmansouri chaired a meeting with local authorities, where they were briefed on the progress of the renovation work taking place within the city since 2019. The renovation work is expected to finish in 2023 with a total budget of MAD 300 million ($32.2 million).

The renovation work underway in Essaouira is part of a large-scale vision to preserve and value the cultural heritage of cities across the north African countries including Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, Sale, and Tetouan.

A visit of this nature highlights the government’s continuous effort to shed light on Morocco’s historical and cultural heritage and bring about a positive impact on local communities.