Lazama Synagogue

The mellah of Marrakech was established in 1558 and was for centuries one of the largest Jewish quarters in Morocco; the community numbered in the tens of thousands before the mid-twentieth century and now numbers in the low hundreds in the whole city. Lazama, also called Slat al-Azama, is the synagogue that remains in regular use. It is built in the ordinary domestic Moroccan form - rooms round a central courtyard, here painted a strong blue with white trim and hung with plants - with the prayer hall on one side, benches round the walls, an ark, and hanging lamps. Upstairs rooms hold photographs and documents of the community's history. It is a working place of worship, not a museum: services are held, a caretaker shows visitors round, and the appropriate behaviour is that of a guest. The Miaara cemetery is a short walk away.

What you actually see

• A blue courtyard - the ordinary Moroccan house form, painted and planted.
• A working prayer hall - benches, ark and hanging lamps, still in use.
• Community photographs - documents and images upstairs of the mellah's history.
• A small remaining community - hundreds now where there were tens of thousands.

When to go

October to April; not on Shabbat or festivals unless invited. Half an hour.

Honest expectations

It is a working synagogue, not a museum - dress and behave accordingly, and it may be closed for services. A donation is expected. The mellah lanes around it are busy and easy to get lost in. Photography inside should be asked about first.

Nearby

The Miaara cemetery is a short walk; the Bahia palace is north.