OLD BERBER VILLAGE OF CHGUERNA

At the crossing is a very ancient, not restored synagogue, Natalia's synagogue, that the custodian, owner of the land, gently opens to visitors (please indicate the place at the Hotel Yefren). She would be over 2 000 years old and would therefore be one of the oldest in the Maghreb, and Yefren, which probably counted three others. She worked until the small Jewish community of Yefren left Libya in 1948. The vaults of the ceilings are in Hebrew. It is organized around a raised quadrilateral in the centre, and its plan is inspired by David's star. After the visit take the crossing and head over 800 m to the southwest: at the fork turn right and follow the path. The old Berber village of Chguerna is, like its colleagues in the Yefren area, the opportunity to discover a beautiful heritage as well as beautiful landscapes: By moving into the village on the right, we are soon overlooking a Wadi tree planted with a few palm trees. At the entrance to the village there are two former olive presses (see box «Olive Oil Presses»). The left is surmounted by a small Arabic inscription that dates back to 1830. The one on the right is even prettier. 200 m above is a second ancient synagogue named Azra Synagogue, which served as a Koranic school. It has been renovated several times with plaster. It includes Hebrew inscriptions as well as hand and foot decorations: symbols in Jebel Nefousa to get a bad eye.