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Cheikh Al Kamel Mausoleum

Coordinates: 33°53′56″N 5°34′14″W / 33.8987900°N 5.5705515°W / 33.8987900; -5.5705515
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Cheikh Al Kamel Mausoleum
Arabic: ضريح الشيخ الكامل
Religion
AffiliationIslam
DistrictBab al-Jadid
RegionFès-Meknès
StatusActive
Location
LocationMeknes, Morocco
CountryMorocco
Cheikh Al Kamel Mausoleum is located in Morocco
Cheikh Al Kamel Mausoleum
Location in Morocco
Geographic coordinates33°53′56″N 5°34′14″W / 33.8987900°N 5.5705515°W / 33.8987900; -5.5705515
Architecture
Typemausoleum, zawiya and mosque
StyleMoroccan
CreatorMohammed ben Abdallah
Date established16th century
Completed1776
Specifications
Minaret(s)1
Shrine(s)1

The Shaykh al-Kamil Mausoleum (Arabic: ضريح الشيخ الكامل), romanized as Cheikh Al Kamel Mausoleum also known as the Mausoleum of al-Hadi ben Issa (ضريح الهادي بنعيسى) is a historic religious complex located in Meknes, Morocco.[1]

It consists of a zawiya, mosque, and the mausoleum of Mohammed al-Hadi ben Issa the founder of the Isawiyya order of Sufism.[1]

History

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A 19th-century photograph of the mausoleum. Note the absence of a minaret

The mausoleum of Mohamed ben Issa, a prominent Ash'ari scholar and Sufi mystic, was established in the 16th century.[2] Later in 1776, the Alaouite ruler, Mohammed Ben Abdallah, built a completely new structure around the saint's tomb.[3] The minaret appears to have been a later addition. The complex is currently used as both a mosque and mausoleum.[1]

Usage

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Mawlid Celebration

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The celebration of Mawlid, which is the celebration of the birth of Muhammad, occurs at the mausoleum.[4] This festival is different from other Mawlids, due to it being done in the unique Issawi style.[4] Instruments like the ta'raj, the brass, the flutes, the drums, the trumpet, are played, before the participants enter a long session of dhikr and meditation.[4] Traditionally, dates are a meal during this festive occasion.[4]

Rituals

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The rituals of the Issawi order are performed here.[5] The mausoleum is also the focal point of an annual moussem (a type of Sufi religious festival).[5] Unlike Mawlid, the festival here was brutal in nature, and it was historically known for its displays of self-mutilation.[5] The religious rituals in the festival are intertwined with musical and joyful celebrations that are sometimes violent, including rolling around and drinking blood of animal sacrifices.[6]

Controversy

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The mausoleum became known for its presence of homosexuals, and the government tried to suppress the rising of homosexual rituals within the building.[7] These homosexuals claimed to have been the descendants of Aisha, another local patron saint of Meknes.[7]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "El Hadi Ben Aïssa : Le symbole de la délivrance". Aujourd'hui le Maroc (in French). 9 September 2008. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  2. ^ "ضريح الشيخ الكامل وجهة مريدي الزوايا - جريدة الصباح". assabah.ma (in Arabic). 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  3. ^ Aouchar, Amina (2005). Fès, Meknès (in French). Flammarion. p. 65. ISBN 9782080108418.
  4. ^ a b c d ناصر, هشام. "مكناس.. الطوائف العيساوية تضفي طابعا احتفاليا فريدا بمناسبة ذكرى عيد المولد النبوي". الكاتب (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  5. ^ a b c Funck-Brentano, C. (1987) [1934]. "Meknes". E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936. Vol. 5. Leiden ; New York : E.J. Brill. p. 456. ISBN 978-90-04-08265-6.
  6. ^ "مكناس تتحول إلى"كعبة" الطوائف العيساوية في عيد المولد النبوي || ANFASPRESS - أنفاس بريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية - جريدة إلكترونية مغربية تجدد على مدار الساعة - المغرب - ANFAS PRESS ( Ariri Abderrahim )". 2020-10-30. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  7. ^ a b "طقوس غريبة توقظ "الشيخ الكامل" .. و"جذبة عيساوة" تطرد الجن". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2023-12-20.