Sites
El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba, Tunisia
Diarna’s team of researchers are in the process of mapping hundreds of Jewish heritage sites across the Near East. Complete write-ups on the majority of mapped sites are either in production or awaiting the discovery of additional information. To see a sample of the diversity of sites currently in development, download the “DiarnaSampleSites.kmz” file. The file should then be opened in Google Earth (a free program that can be downloaded here). Each site includes a place-marker, photographs (often both historical and contemporary), and brief descriptions. The following select sites are in the sample file:
We also offer the following sample tours of a village in Tighedouine (click here), Holocaust-era Vichy Labor Camps in Eastern Morocco (click here) and of Moroccan Anti-Atlas Mountain Shrines (below).
A large segment of the Moroccan Jewish population has long venerated “saints” – local rabbis, emissaries from the Holy Land, and even pious women – whose tombs are visited during pilgrimage seasons. Over 600 Jewish “saints” are buried across the country, in the cemeteries of 
large cities as well as remote settings. This mini-exhibit showcases several shrines in the area surrounding Morocco’s Anti Atlas Mountain range. Sites include large complexes capable of accommodating dozens of pilgrims, solitary graves on mountain-sides, and even one tomb (Shlomo Ben Lhens) guarded by the last Berber Jew living in the region. Install the Google Earth plug-in to make a virtual pilgrimage to the sites. Double-click on each place-marker to see a photo of the site, and then close the photo box to see the site in context with a landscape view. After visiting a site, zoom out for a regional view and then double-click on the next site.
