Ethnography of Mawlid Nabawi in Beni Abbes: commemorations, rituals and identity

  • Badia Belabbas Department of Architecture, Laboratory of Design and Modelling of Architectural and Urban Forms and Ambiances (LACOMOFA), Biskra University, Algeria.
  • Adel Sekhri Department of Architecture, Algeria. Built Environment Resilience Lab (BERLab), Biskra University- Laboratory of Habitat and Environment, Setif University- Algeria. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8379-8809
  • Wided Ratiba Biara Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Bechar University- Algeria. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6682-2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/anqe.105856
Keywords: Mawlid, Beni Abbes, event-ethnography, itinerary method

Abstract

The aim of this article is to faithfully reconstruct the religious event of Mawlid Nabawī in Beni Abbes (a town in south-west Algeria), through the history of the Mawlid around the world and in Algeria. In the absence of any documentary evidence or research into this festive celebration, this is perpetuated specifically in Beni Abbes with unique local characteristics, In response to this gap we opted for event-ethnography as a method, based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews, in addition to the itinerary method, which enabled us to map the route of the festival procession. This study was conducted over the course of three successive years in order to faithfully reconstruct the unfolding of this atypical religious ceremony, mapping its procession and studying its impact on urban tissue. Moreover, the objective is to showcase the existence of social and intergenerational dialogue within the community, underlining the importance of preserving this mawlid as intangible cultural heritage.

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Published
2026-07-27
How to Cite
Belabbas, B., Sekhri, A., & Biara, W. R. (2026). Ethnography of Mawlid Nabawi in Beni Abbes: commemorations, rituals and identity. Anaquel de Estudios Árabes, 37(2), 225-242. https://doi.org/10.5209/anqe.105856
Issue
Vol. 37 No. 2 (2026)
Section
Articles

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