Sefrou is a city in central

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

situated in the Fès-Meknès region. It recorded a population of 79,887 in the

2014 Moroccan census The 2014 Moroccan census The moroccan census of the population, officially named general census of the population and the habitat (RGPH), is a census taking place every ten years in the kingdom. It is established under the responsibility of the Hig ...

, up from 63,872 in the 2004 census. Sefrou is known for its historical Jewish population, and its annual cherry festival.

History

Sefrou was named for the Ahel Sefrou, a

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–19 ...

tribe that once inhabited the area. Sefrou's name might be brought from the berber name "Asfru" (ⴰⵙⴼⵔⵓ) which means "the solution" (in Morocco). Sefrou was once home to one of the largest settlements of

Moroccan Jews Moroccan Jews ( ar, اليهود المغاربة, al-Yahūd al-Maghāriba he, יהודים מרוקאים, Yehudim Maroka'im) are Jews who live in or are from Morocco. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating to Roman times. Jews b ...

, the population estimated to have been as high as 8,000. The first Jewish people lived in the area of the Ahel Sefrou, most of whom were converted to

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

around 2,000 years ago. In the 8th century, most of these were converted to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

under

Idris I of Morocco Idris (I) ibn Abd Allah ( ar, إدريس بن عبد الله, translit=Idrīs ibn ʿAbd Allāh), also known as Idris the Elder ( ar, إدريس الأكبر, translit=Idrīs al-Akbar), (d. 791) was an Arab Hasanid Sharif and the founder of the ...

. In the 9th century, a second Jewish population settled from the Tafilalt area and Southern

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. Most of the descendants of these Jews stayed in Sefrou until 1967, when many moved to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. Idris II of Morocco lived in Sefrou temporarily while overseeing the development of Fez.

Geography

Sefrou is located at the edge of the Middle Atlas mountain range, and is southeast of Fez. Oued Aggai runs through the city, and about west of Sefrou are the Cascades, a small waterfall. Wadi Aggai also takes part in irrigation for the area. The Kef el-Moumen caves contain ancient tombs, one of which is claimed to be the tomb of

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...

. There is also a spring near Sefrou called Lalla Rekia, which is purported to cure insanity.

Culture

Sefrou is known for its Sefrou Cherry Festival, which is

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

-endorsed, and is held annually every June. This festival, originally launched back in 1920, consists in a beauty contest in which Moroccan women would apply for the prestigious title of ''Miss Cherry''. The festival lasts for three days and includes folk music, Moroccan traditional cuisine, fantasia performances, and sporting events. The town has a medina and two mosques, and every Thursday is market day.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Sefrou Province Sefrou