On Friday, April 1, HSH Prince Albert paid a visit to Bayt Dakira in Essaouira, a highly spiritual and patrimonial place for the preservation and promotion of the Jewish-Moroccan memory, the North African Post reported.
Exhaustive explanations were given to the Monegasque Sovereign who was on a private visit to Essaouira by André Azoulay, Advisor to King Mohammed VI and Founding President of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, on the emblematic Slat Attia synagogue, as well as on the richness and diversity of the cultural and religious heritage of the Moroccan Jewish community.
Azoulay also provided information on various artefacts, texts and photos, in addition to Judaism’s exceptional saga in Essaouira and its heritage, including tea ceremonies, the Hebrew poetic art, goldsmithing and embroidery, which all influenced Mogador during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In a statement to the media at the end of his visit to Bayt Dakira, Prince Albert said that he was “very happy to be in Morocco and in this beautiful historic city of Essaouira,” and that he was “very impressed by what has been achieved in this magnificent space of memory.”
The Sovereign added he was pleased to see how this “highlights Essaouira’s rich heritage,” and “in the perspective of showing the importance of the Jewish and Muslim cultures, without forgetting the Amazigh culture, which are all part of the history of this city and Morocco.”
This is “an example for all of us that there can be a peaceful coexistence, which can contribute to the richness of a city and a country,” he said. “I am very happy to have made this visit and I will really keep a moving memory.”
