Tangier Jewish heritage tour

Best Tangier Jewish heritage tour

Embark on a journey filled with cultural wonders and unique experiences with our Tangier Jewish heritage tour.

Jewish history in Morocco

There have been a Jews community in Morocco for a very long time, some historical sources said that their arrival to the country occurred during the prophet Solomon’s era, but others claim that it happened as a result of Titus’s attack over Jerusalem about 70 AD.

However, certain chroniclers claim that the first Jews wave in the Maghreb appeared around 320 BC, when  Ptolemy who banished the Jews who sought refuge in north Africa.

Nevertheless, the most important emigration was during the Christian reconquest in Spain, when thousand of Sephardic Jews were expelled along with Muslims from Andalusia to Morocco and some other North African countries.

Jewish heritage in Tangier

• Sephardic influx: During the 1492 Alhambra Decree, a second wave of Jewish migration from the Iberian Peninsula dramatically changed Moroccan Jewry.
• The newly arrived Sephardic Jews brought with them the Andalusian liturgy, creating a unique blend of Moroccan and Sephardic traditions.

Tangier hosted a large number of Ashkenazi Jews (יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז) coming from the east of Europe during the world war II, this community, whose members found a welcoming population and a potential environment to settle and live in harmony.

Technically speaking, Tangier had no formal Jewish quarter or mellah, like the other medinas of Morocco.

However, there was a big concentration of Jewish families in Beni Idir quarter ( the biggest in the medina) as it’s where the main synagogues are found.

Synagogues בתי כנסת like Nahon constructed in the 19th century by Moshe Nahon, a scholar from an famous Jewish family in Tangier.

Sightseeing 

Your Tangier Jewish Heritage Tour will include a nice drive through the Ville Nouvelle passing by Shaar Rafael Synagogue.

You’ll learn how cosmopolitan Tangier is where Muslims, Christians & Jews have been living in peaceful coexistence.

After that, you’ll drive through the California District with its fancy villas, mansions, palaces including the Royal Palace.

We’ll drive you west from Tangier through a spongy forest of eucalyptus, mimosa, cypress and umbrella pine along a winding, sea-sprayed road. The route, lined by grass as soft as carpet and as luminous as the Rif mountains.

You’ll have a short break for taking pictures in the Perdicaris Park.

Continue on the track to the promontory Cap Spartel, nestling against an ancient cliff. On the northwest point of mainland Africa, looking out onto the coast of Spain, is the light-house.

The views from here are stunning. At this point, the Atlantic Ocean & the Mediterranean both converge..

Medina

Your walking Jewish Heritage tour of Tangier consists of visiting some landmarks and places of worship related to the rich Jewish heritage in Tangier.

Tangier is nicknamed ” the city of co-existence” where Jews used to live in total peace with Muslim people.

During this Jewsih Heritage Tour of Tangier, your personal guide will scrupulously take into consideration your special needs, what you are interested in & top-list priorities.

He will be showing you not only the important sights but also focusing on the most cultural aspects of Moroccan Judaism and it similarity with the local Muslim traditions.

Your private tour guide knows about the Jewish heritage in Morocco and will shed light on the history of Jews in Morocco as well.

From the Kosher bakery where families used to cook Challah, to the jewelry section, to the Jewish Cemetery your guide will make sure that you have the best experience.

Your tour guide is knowledgeable the History of Jews in Tangier, about the Medina as he was born & played around the streets of the Kasbah and Medina.

Now, it’s time to explore the vibrant Medina with its bustling cafes and shops. You’ll get inspired by the preserved heritage of the locals including the communal oven or bakery, Mosques and Hammams.

Tangier Heritage tour price

N.B : The cost is per person based on a reservation of 2 Pax

Standard tour

Luxury 

NB: the lunch is non-kosher. However, in case you’ll bring your Kosher food with you, your guide will arrange a place where you can eat it along with soft drinks.

In case you’re only one person or more than the aforementioned number, you can contact us.

We have a discount for kids, so when you send us your request please mention the number of kids and their age, so we can provide you with the accurate rate.