Sufi Encounters and Music - Samaâ Marrakech

Information coming soon for this event.

Also named "Samaa Marrakech Festival", this cultural and spiritual event offers the inhabitants of the ochre city and its visitors a rich and varied programme, revolving, this year, around the spiritual values of "Futuwwa", spiritual chivalry or heroic generosity, we learn from the organisers. This new edition will thus be inaugurated by the opening of an important exhibition in tribute to the calligraphic arts of Morocco, an exhibition dedicated to the works of art and illustrations of the book, "kitab Addakhira", an incomparable spiritual sum by Cheikh Al Mou'ta Ben Saleh Echarqui (great Sufi master of the 18th century), adds the same source. This festival celebrates, this year, the illustrious figure of the Almohad Caliph Abou Yacoub Youssef, his wife Azzarqaa of Murcia and his legendary court which included tutelary figures, such as Ibn Tufail, Ibn Rushd and Ibn Zuhr. The public will also be treated to a series of spiritual and traditional music concerts, hosted by different musical ensembles coming from Morocco, Tunisia, Syria and Turkey, namely an Andalusian music concert "Sebbouhi", scheduled at the Menara Gardens esplanade, and conducted by Master Haj Mohamed Bajeddoub and the "Chabab Al Andalous" ensemble. A set of colloquiums around the theme of "Futuwwa", spiritual chivalry and circles around the Mirrors of Princes, are also on the agenda for this eclectic event. On the same occasion, a vibrant tribute will be paid to one of the eminent scholars of Morocco and emeritus specialist in the history of Andalusia, Professor Mohamed Benchrifa, from the ranks of the Ibn Youssef University of Marrakech, as well as to the master of Samaâ and Andalusian music Haj Mohamed Bajeddoub for his contribution to the promotion and preservation of this art. For a wide dissemination of this festival to the general public, the organisers have decided to invest in several locations in the ochre city and its surroundings, including the Palais Soulaymane, Ksour Agafay, the Menara Gardens, the Koutoubia esplanade, as well as Arsat Moulay Abdessalam.

The first edition of the world festival of Sufi meetings and music, named "Samaa Marrakech", will take place from 2 to 6 May in the ochre city, at the initiative of the "Al Muniya" association for the conservation and revival of Morocco's heritage.
This religious and cultural event also aims to be included on the list of the city's flagship festivals, to respond to an increasingly growing need for spirituality and to reveal the wisdom and teachings of the great Sufi masters throughout history, they added.

On the programme for this first edition are musical meetings hosted by Moroccan and Arab troupes, colloquiums on the main theme "Sufism: tree of knowledge and love", exhibitions of manuscripts of the Quran and books on Sufism, as well as circles dedicated to the evocation of the wisdom and glories of great Sufi masters.

Samaâ sessions as well as guided tours of the main mausoleums and zaouïas of Marrakech and its region are also planned for this occasion.

"Pure love in tribute to the great saint of Basra, Rabia Al Adawia", "gift and generosity in the lineage of the wali of Marrakech Sidi Abou Al Abass Sebti", "the song of spiritual intoxication through the medium of +Torjoman Al Achouak+ (the interpreter of desires) by Cheikh Al Akbar Mohyi Eddine Ibn Arabi", are themes that will be addressed during the circles.

The spiritual singing evenings, which will take place in the mausoleums, zaouïas, palaces and historic gardens of Marrakech, will be hosted by prestigious groups such as the "Al Kindi" ensemble from Syria, the "Sayyed Imam" ensemble from Egypt and Moroccan ensembles including the "Al Abassiya" ensemble from Marrakech and "les Dhakirines" from Rabat.