Ouezzane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ouezzane (also Wazan and Uessen) (Arabic: وزان) is a town in northern Morocco, north of Fes, with a population of approximately 57,972(2004).

The city is well known in Morocco and throughout the Islamic world by being a spiritual capital for it was home for many of the big poles of Sufism. It has been known also as “Dar Dmana”.

Many Jews of Morocco consider Ouezzane to be a holy city and make pilgrimages there to venerate the tomb of several marabouts (Moroccan saints), particularly moul Anrhaz, the local name for Rabbi Imran Ben Diwan, an eighteenth century rabbi who lived in the city and whose burial site is associated with a number of miracles.

During the Rif Kabyls rebellion (leader Abd el Krim) in 1925 -1926 Ouezzine was an important supply base for French Army. Ouezzine was connected by an 600 mm gauge narrow gauge railway via Ain Dfali, Mechra Bel Ksiri to Port Lauatey, now Kenitra, forming part of the 1912 - 1914 French built extensive narrow gauge network of Chemins de fer Militaires du Maroc, the largest 600 mm gauge network ever existed in Africa with total length of more than 1700 kilometres.