In the Aurès, the village of Mdarount holds a history closely tied to its zawiya and to the men and women who left their mark there. Its name appears as Madrouna in Arabic and as Madrount or Mdarount in the local Chaoui dialect. According to local accounts, it is linked to the name Nedrouma in western Algeria, with two letters altered to distinguish the names. Other accounts say the village’s founders came from western Algeria, settled first in Hidous and then chose the site of Mdarount after comparing it with other locations. From there, they launched a social reform movement that drew in people from neighboring villages.
Set high up and far from view, the village only comes into sight as visitors draw near. The road remains difficult despite repairs. On one visit, it became impossible to continue by car, forcing the travelers to walk the final stretch over protruding stones, holes and piles of earth, exhausted by the journey. Traces of the surrounding scenery still draw the eye, although forced migration was followed by the destruction of buildings and orchards. In earlier times, a stream running through the village watered its fruit-filled gardens, earning Mdarount the name Little Syria.
Hidous, described as Mdarount’s elder sister, is considered one of the oldest villages in the southwestern Aurès. Its founding is attributed to Sheikh Sidi El Hachemi, a member of the Al Derdour family, which held a prominent position for centuries. The village’s resources and living conditions are said to have enabled residents to meet their needs, even during years of drought and famine. From Hidous, Sidi El Hachemi went on to establish other villages and zawiyas, reaching Nara, where he died in 1899. His body was later brought back for burial in Mdarount.
As a young man, the sheikh was drawn to travel. He walked to Mecca and, on his return, spent time in Egypt, learning from its scholars and from teachers of the Senussi order. He encouraged his disciples to support themselves through work, crafts or trade, and lent some of them money to help them get started. With permission from the insurgent Sheikh Sidi Abdelhafid El Khenki, he established a Rahmaniyya zawiya, incorporating some Senussi principles. Followers came from different areas, bringing the site under French surveillance.
Sidi El Hachemi supported Sidi Abdelhafid El Khenki during his uprising. The latter was arrested and deported to Corsica for more than ten years. After his release, he resumed his opposition to France and calls for revolt. He was later imprisoned at Tazoult and was released only after a large sum was paid as bail.
Mdarount’s zawiya also provided practical support: it fed and sheltered poor people, widows, orphans, divorced women and travelers. It taught the Quran and offered traditional treatment to the sick and injured. After Sheikh Ali Derdour died in 1935, the zawiya was led by his relative Sidi Ammar and then by his wife, Lalla Aziza. As she approached the end of her life, around 1958, she entrusted its care to Sidi El Bachir, father of Dr. Abdelbasset Derdour, and asked him to keep its doors open. He accepted despite initial misgivings and continued to serve visitors. Conditions worsened in the 1990s, forcing him to leave, but he kept the doors open in keeping with Lalla Aziza’s wishes.
The zawiya produced figures whose names became known locally, nationally and internationally. They included Sheikh Omar Derdour, known as the Ibn Badis of the Aurès, who promoted religious education and Islamic institutes. Sheikh, teacher and freedom fighter Muhammad El Hachemi Derdour also played a role in preparing for the War of Liberation. Years before it began, he spread awareness and mobilized people he trusted. He had discussed coordination with the moudjahid El Hadj Lakhdar Abidi when the two met in the holy lands.
During the war, the zawiya sheltered fighters and provided them with support and rest. Muhammad El Hachemi Derdour altered the approaches to the site and created routes reserved for the moudjahidine to improve their protection. The French administration tried to win him over and proposed paving the road to the zawiya. Wary of its hidden intentions, he turned down the offer. In 1956, following a denunciation, French authorities arrested him. The fighters’ shelter, located among the zawiya’s buildings, was destroyed, and he endured psychological and physical torture.