Cultural Preservation & Coexistence in Essaouira

On June 12, the day of the opening concert of the 17th edition of Essaouira’s Gnaoua World Music Festival, the High Atlas Foundation was proud to be alongside André Azoulay, Economic Adviser to HE King Mohammed VI, in welcoming US Ambassador Mr. Dwight L. Bush Senior to the sites of our cultural preservation project in the town.

The cemeteries of the three religions in Essaouira – like the world-famous Gnaoua Festival – showcase the long history of openness and intercultural coexistence in Essaouira and Morocco in general.

Thanks to the US Ambassadors’ Cultural Preservation Fund, over the course of one year, HAF and local partners worked with civil society members to restore the cemeteries of the three faiths.

Mr Azoulay first welcomed US Ambassador Bush to the new Jewish cemetery, where HAF Program Manager for Essaouira Province, Lynn Sheppard, outlined the achievements of the project. Over the course of one year, HAF and local partners worked with over 120 members of local civil society to train caretakers in good practices; to clean and plant in the cemeteries with local community members; to organize awareness-raising events with local people and to integrate over 400 individual students and schoolchildren into educational and practical activities around the cultural knowledge preserved by the cemeteries.

Following a visit to the mausoleum of Rabbi Haim Pinto in the older Jewish cemetery, the visit progressed to the adjacent Christian cemetery, where Christians of different denominations have been buried side-by-side for centuries. They include former consuls, priests, soldiers, surgeons and children. The Ambassador was also presented with a brochure compiled during the project by local members of civil society, explaining some of the key aspects and personalities of the cemeteries.

During the visit, the Ambassador and his delegation learned about the heritage and historical value of Essaouira’s cemeteries and the uniquely Moroccan blend of unity and diversity which they represent.

This visit also highlighted one of the objectives of this project: making cemeteries accessible and welcoming to visitors.

Click here to view the interview by Maghreb Arab Press, featuring an interview with HAF’s president, Yossef Ben-Meir, and the Ambassador. You can view the project’s blog here.