Description
This funerary edifice, known as an ohel ("tent") or koubba, is a whitewashed cubic construction, sometimes surmounted by a dome, sheltering the tomb of a venerated saint (tsaddiq). In Morocco, the cult of Jewish saints is highly developed: these sanctuaries are the destination of pilgrimages (hiloula) gathering the faithful around the burial site during votive festivals, often on the anniversary of the saint's death. The simple whitewashed masonry is common to Jewish and Muslim mausoleums in the country. This type of tomb-sanctuary illustrates a central popular devotion in Maghrebi Judaism, where the veneration of saints structured religious and social life.
