While traveling is not feasible during the coronavirus pandemic, a strong imagination can take us anywhere we want. The casbah (citadel) of Algiers offers a meaningful way to reflect on the Ramadan traditions of the pre-colonial Maghrib.
Before the arrival of the French and even under their rule, women scrubbed the walls of their house and tied raffia— fiber from palm tree leaves— to the end of their broom handles to remove dust and cobwebs in preparation for the holy month. Each woman took her dala (turn) to “clean the communal spaces that [had] been assigned to her, such as the roof-terrace, stairs, galleries, lavatory(ies), courtyard and entrance hall.”[1] Men used imported lime to preserve the whiteness of the terrace, and the general exterior was also wiped down with alum powder and pieces of prickly pears for brightening. Families stocked up on non-perishable foods.
Read Full Article »