The Slat al-Azama Synagogue, or Lazama Synagogue, is one of the most famous synagogues in Marrakech, Morocco. It is located in the historic Mellah (Jewish quarter) of the old city.
Only a few synagogues in the Mellah are still used by the shrinking Jewish community of Marrakech, including this one, which also serves as an interesting museum of Jewish life in Morocco. It was originally built in 1492 by Jews expelled from Spain, but its white and blue interior represents a much later version. The synagogue is on the right side of a beautiful inner courtyard – note the Star of David motif in the zellige (colorful geometric mosaic tile).
On the left side, a series of halls is dedicated to the 2000-year history of Moroccan Jews. The Mellah in Marrakech was founded in 1557, and by the 19th century, its population had grown and became the largest Jewish community in Morocco.
The synagogue was associated with Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 (known as the Megorashim). The founding of the synagogue is also traditionally dated to 1492, although one scholar noted that the exact year of establishment is not confirmed. The Mellah district where the synagogue is located was only created in 1557. In any case, the current appearance of the synagogue dates to a more recent restoration. The building still functions as a synagogue.
On September 8, 2023, the synagogue and the surrounding Jewish quarter were damaged by an earthquake. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The synagogue is integrated into a larger building that was a private house with a central courtyard (commonly called a riad). Such integration of a synagogue into a private home was typical for most synagogues in the Mellah of Marrakech, as well as in the Mellah of Fez. The synagogue itself is decorated with traditional Moroccan decor, such as zellige (mosaic tile).
The eastern side was renovated after the 1950s with the addition of a women's wing (ezrat nashim), which is unique for Morocco, where tradition requires women to remain in a separate room at the entrance to the synagogue. The original wooden Torah ark was replaced by a marble ark, which is located next to the eastern wall.
Records made in the 1950s by architect Yaakov Finkerfeld show that the aforementioned space for women did not exist and that the interior was divided into two naves by four columns. The yeshiva is located on the upper floor.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slat_al-Azama_Synagogue
https://visitmarrakech.com/en/listing/synagogue-salat-al-azama/
