Monday, October 12, 2015

The Kasbah of Zagora


Since we had the entire morning until our desert trip began we decided to use the time to visit the Kasbah. The Kasbah of every city is actually a fortress, in which people lived out some still live. The Kasbah is made out of mud (slay), therefore it decomposes all the time. The Kasbah of Zagora was the home for hundreds of Jewish families. The last family left the town in 1962. On the way while walking we meet someone who showed us around. We entered from a ruined gate, went along the narrow corridors between decomposing walls. On both sides there were doors witch showed us the "apartments" which served the families. Up until today there is no water in the Kasbah, women fetch the water in bottles and buckets from a nearby well. They asked not to be photographed without the permission of their husbands. Our guide talked a lot about the Jews that lived here, but all moved to Israel and showed us the synagogue. It's a small room. In the wall there is a place for the sefer Torah, and small shelves around for the candles.
The guide showed us where parts of his family live. There is no floor, it's extremely dark and people live together with their animals. It is hard to imagine how could it be to live in such poverty.

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