SIDI M'HAMMED CEMETERY
Cemetery in Algiers housing the mausoleum of Sidi M'Hammed (founder of the Rhamania brotherhood) and other graves.
The Sidi M'Hammed cemetery is one of the oldest Muslim cemeteries in Algiers. It houses the mausoleum of Sidi M'Hammed Ben Abderrahmane (born in 1720 and died in 1793). It is the holy founder of the brotherhood of Rahmania, one of the largest Muslim Sufi brotherhoods in Algeria. Sidi M'Hammed created a first zaouïa in his native village, Aït Smaïl in Kabylia, then a second one in the district of Hamma in Algiers and taught his doctrine for more than twenty-five years. At his death, the disciples of the two zaouïas fought over the remains of their master. First buried in Aït Smaïl, his body would have been stolen by the disciples of the zaouïa of Algiers. The legend says that, to avoid the war of the brothers, his body would have been split to be in the two graves. This is why the saint is nicknamed Sidi M'Hammed Bou Qobrine, "the saint with two tombs".
The cemetery houses the graves of the great Algerian families. Hassiba Ben Bouali, Algerian militant during the Algerian war, killed in October 1957 at the age of 19, also rests there.
The name of the saint has been given to a daïra (subdivision of the wilaya - a region) of Algiers and to one of its communes. Do not forget to take off your shoes before entering the mausoleum of the saint where you will of course remain discreet.
Zaouïa: the term designates both a Sufi brotherhood and its headquarters, generally housing a place of prayer and teaching, a guest house and sometimes the tomb of the holy founder.
