Sefrou city’s Governor, Omar Touimi Benjelloun, announced the launch of the third phase of the medina’s (ancient city) reconstruction project with a budget of MAD 43.6 million during a meeting on Tuesday.
Many of Sefrou’s ancient medina buildings have been at risk of crumbling for many years, threatening the destruction of 2,000 years of history and risking lives as Morocco continues to face natural disasters such as flooding and earthquakes.
Benjelloun urged Moroccan authorities to focus on preserving and reconstructing medinas, an indispensable part of Morocco’s heritage.
He noted that Sefrou’s medina, less than 30 kilometers from Fez, has been steadily degrading and falling into disrepair. Despite the risks, most of the ancient buildings and markets of the city are still populated and active.
The first phase of the project was executed in 2011. Morocco’s leading real estate developer Al Omrane Group provided housing for 303 families with direct financial support, and 80 families were granted new housing plots.
The Agency for the Development and Rehabilitation of the City (ADER) of Fez undertook the second phase of the project in 2015 with a budget of MAD 33.54 million. ADER rehabilitated 158 buildings and repaired 63 others, which was considered a success by all metrics.
The third phase includes the construction of a 108-meter protective wall, reinforcement of 11 buildings at risk of collapse, paving of alleys in the historic area, and 155 assessments by the Public Laboratory for Tests and Studies (LPEE).
Additionally, 481 families benefitted from financial aid, with MAD 50,000 for tenants and MAD 10,000 for house owners. Around 12 families were also relocated to apartments valued at MAD 140,000, and 102 vacant buildings were closed.
Sefrou holds significant historical weight, highlighting Morocco’s cultural and religious variety. Likely named after the Amazigh tribe “Ahel Sefrou” that once inhabited the area, Sefrou had been home to Morocco’s largest Jewish population, with as many as 8,000 before 1948.
The local Amazigh population converted to Judaism en masse around 2,000 years ago, earning the city the nickname “Little Jerusalem.”
A large number of Sefrou’s Jewish population moved to Israel around 1967, leaving behind multiple monuments that stand as a testament to Morocco’s extensive and diverse history.