Church of the Holy Martyrs of Marrakech

Marrakech, Morocco

The Church of the Holy Martyrs is a Catholic religious building located in the Gueliz district of Marrakech. Built in 1928 and inaugurated in 1929, it is dedicated to the Martyrs of Marrakech, the five Franciscan missionaries martyred on January 6, 1220.

History

The church was built in 1928 and officially opened in 1929, during the French Protectorate of Morocco. It is located in the Gueliz district, in the heart of Marrakech's new city, opposite the Gueliz Mosque. It sits at the far end of a large courtyard.

The church is dedicated to the Martyrs of Marrakech, five Franciscan missionaries—Bérard de Carbio and his companions—who in 1219 were sent by Saint Francis of Assisi to preach the Gospel in Muslim lands. They were imprisoned by the sultan because proselytizing was against Islamic law and beheaded after refusing to convert to Islam. They were later canonized, and their feast day is celebrated on January 16.

Marrakech and Christianity

Marrakech has a Christian history dating back to the 13th century, when there was a Christian neighborhood known as Ebora o Elbora outside the city, where a Christian population lived with its own church. In 1229, the ruling Almohad Abu El- Ola allowed Christians to build a church in Ebora and make their bells sound.

The Archdiocese of Rabat, to which this church belongs, was erected as an apostolic vicariate in 1923 and elevated to an archdiocese in 1955. In 2020 it had 21,150 baptized faithful, 34 priests and 18 parishes.