Who the Ben Zmirou were
According to the researchers Ibrahim Kridiya and Said Leqbi, quoted by Yabiladi, the family left Spain for Portugal and settled in Morocco around the end of the 15th century, moving from Fez to Safi when the port was under Portuguese control. Abraham Ben Zmirou is remembered as a poet and philosopher who negotiated with the Portuguese and, with his brothers, controlled the trade in fabrics and wool, and one of the brothers became rabbi of Safi.
Sources disagree on who lies here. The Associated Press, reporting in 2008, described Rabbi Abraham Ben Zmirro buried with six siblings. Kridiya’s account names the brothers Isaac and Ismael and their nephew.
Safi’s Jewish community
The sanctuary belongs to a long Jewish history in Safi. The Encyclopaedia Judaica records exiles from Iberia settling there in 1492 and 1497, Jews serving the Portuguese as interpreters and negotiators until 1541, and Jewish merchants later leasing the port and trading with Europe and the Americas. It counts about 2,500 Jews in the town on the eve of the First World War, about 4,500 in 1951 and fewer than 700 in 1968. Unlike most Moroccan towns, Safi’s Jews are described as never having been confined to a mellah.
Traditions of the seven saints
Community tradition holds that the brothers shut themselves in an underground room to study Torah. When a visitor came to complain about the noise and they refused to see her, the earth swallowed them; their burial place was later marked and became the sanctuary. Pilgrims believe the site was once a cemetery. The saints are credited with healing, and are said in particular to heal children with disabilities.
Inside the sanctuary
Yabiladi describes an ancient gate, a synagogue, and a space gathering the seven saints where 27 memorials represent Jewish saints. Around the tomb the ground is dotted with stones that Jewish visitors whitewash, and pilgrims light candles among them.
The hilloula
A hilloula is the annual celebration at a tzaddik’s grave, a righteous person venerated after death. Yabiladi gives the date as 13 August each year, lasting two days and a night; on the second day pilgrims bring animals for ritual slaughter, which a rabbi declares kosher. The 2008 gathering, by contrast, took place on a weekend in early July: about 400 pilgrims came from Moroccan cities, France and Israel, and Morocco’s chief rabbi prayed in the shrine’s synagogue alongside the regional governor. Because the timing has varied, we confirm the date with the community each year. Our hilloula guide explains how these pilgrimages work.
Visiting outside the pilgrimage
We have found no published opening times, and the sources we use do not give the sanctuary’s exact location within Safi. Visits happen by arrangement with the guardians or the community; in 2012, for example, cruise passengers were able to visit. Safi lies on the coast between El Jadida and Essaouira, so the sanctuary fits a coastal route. See our guide to Jewish heritage around Casablanca for nearby sites.
Ouled Ben Zmirou Sanctuary, Safi: questions travellers ask
Can non-Jews visit the sanctuary?
Yes. The sanctuary has long been visited by both Jews and Muslims, and visits are arranged through the guardians or the community.
When is the hilloula?
In summer. One source gives 13 August, while the 2008 pilgrimage was held in early July, so we confirm the date with the community before you book.
Where exactly is it in Safi?
The sources we rely on do not give an exact address. We confirm the location and access with local contacts before your visit.
Do I need a guide?
Yes. There are no published opening times, so an arranged visit with someone who knows the community is the reliable way in.
Sources. Yabiladi (2019); World Jewish Congress / Associated Press (2008); Encyclopaedia Judaica (via Encyclopedia.com); Bladi (2012); Wikipedia (French). Researched and fact-checked by Gateway2Morocco, October 2026. Access to religious sites changes; we confirm every visit when we plan your trip.
