by Geoff | Jan 2, 2020 | Essaouira, Marabout, Morocco, Northern Africa, Regraga, Shrine, Sufi, Zaouia
The zaouia/koubba of Sidi Ishaq is located beautifully on the Atlantic coast. It is a short caleche ride along sandy tracks from the small town of Sidi Ishaq some 3 miles inland. The caleche park is situated in the centre of the town just off the R301 which dramatically follows the coast as far north as Safi.
The final stage of the journey, when the koubba can first be seen against the surf and the track drops down to the small sandy delta of the dried up river, is spectacular.
I can find no information about Sidi Ishaq, other than the shrine is a part of the Regraga annual pilgrimage throughout the Chiadme region.
(more…)
by Geoff | Nov 25, 2019 | Essaouira, Marabout, Shrine, Zaouia
The annual pilgrimage around the locality of Essaouira every spring is called ‘ Regraga’, a name which also describes the group of Chorfa ( a darija word denoting noble religious leaders descending from the Prophet Mohamed otherwise known as Sharif ) who make the pilgrimage annually.
The Regragas originate from Chiadma, a region located on the Atlantic coast between Safi and Essaouira in the south of Morocco. They are the descendants of the saint apostles of Islam who, legend suggest, learnt the new religion of Islam on a visit to Mecca. Here they were told by the Prophet to spread Islam to the Maghreb. Every spring (March-April) the descendants carry out a pilgrimage which lasts 39 days and visits 44 sacred places in the region. Pilgrims visit a series of local shrines, from the mouth of the Tensift river south of Safi to the northern outskirts of the High Atlas, including the city of Essaouira .
The Pilgrimage contains two groups; one group stops at every shrine on the way where they build a holy tent of palm fibres which is then dyed with henna. The other group arrives in procession with a moqadem (religious leader) riding a white horse.
The Daour (tour) of Regraga starts in the zaouia of Sidi Abdellah ou Hmad in Akermoud and concludes in Sidi Messaoud Boutritiche in the town of Had Dra .
(more…)
by Geoff | Nov 16, 2019 | Gnaoua, Morocco, Music
“You will fly over the ocean,” he continued, “by the power of baraka, the blessing of Sidi Moulay Brahim, tair lajbal, indicating the spirit bird that flies over the Atlas Mountains”
Memoir of a Berber by Hassan Ouakrim
(more…)
