The Slat al-Azama Synagogue or Lazama Synagogue (, ) is one of the best-known synagogues in

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

, Morocco. It is located in the historic '' Mellah'' (Jewish quarter) of the old city.

History

The synagogue was associated with Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492 (known as the Megorashim). The synagogue's foundation is likewise traditionally attributed to 1492, though one scholar has indicated that the exact year of establishment has not been verified. The Mellah district in which the synagogue is located was not created until 1557. In any case, the synagogue's current form dates from a more modern restoration. The building is still functioning as a synagogue today.

Architecture

The synagogue is integrated into a larger building which consisted of a private house with a central courtyard (popularly referred to as a

riad Riad or Riyad may refer to: * Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia * Riyad, Mauritania * Riad (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people with the name, also Riyad or Riyadh) * Riad (architecture), a traditional Moroccan house ...

). This integration of a synagogue into a private home was typical of most synagogues in the Mellah of Marrakesh as well as in the

Mellah of Fez The Mellah of Fez () is the historic Jewish quarter (''Mellah'') of Fez, Morocco. It is located in Fes el-Jdid, the part of Fez which contains the Royal Palace (Dar al-Makhzen), and is believed to date from the mid-15th century. While the distri ...

. The synagogue itself has traditional Moroccan decoration such as '' zellij'' (mosaic tilework). The east side was renovated after the 1950s, with the addition of a wing for women (ezrat nashim), which is unique in Morocco where tradition dictates that women stay in a separate room at the entrance of the synagogue. The original wooden Torah ark has been replaced by a marble ark, which is located next to the eastern wall. Notes drawn in the 1950s by architect Yaacov Finkerfeld demonstrate that the space mentioned above did not exist for women and that the interior was divided into two naves by four columns. On the upper floor there is a yeshiva.

References

{{Morocco-struct-stub Buildings and structures in Marrakesh Sephardi synagogues Spanish diaspora in Africa Spanish-Jewish diaspora Synagogues in Morocco