On Circumambulation in Chellah and Elsewhere: Popular Traditions, Legal Prohibitions

The article deals with the controversial part of the rituals of the women at Chellah, that is, the circumambulation of the miḥrāb, at the end of the building opposite the minaret.  It is compared to some examples of the circumambulation around objects other than the Ka‛ba from the Middle Ages, mentioning similar Ṣūfī practices as well. Parallel cases are quoted from an arbitrary selection of anthropological sources, selecting some cases when circumambulation aims at a healing process. The description of circumambulations is put into perspective by quotes from mediaeval religious scholars and modern religious opinions condemning circumambulation around places other than the Ka‛ba, together with highlighting the measures taken by the local authorities to prevent the local practice at Chellah.