02/09/2021
Before the creation of a designated Jewish quarter, the Jewish population of Fez resided in the city, founded by Idris I, alongside Muslims. Until today, the area where Jews lived is known as: Foundouq Lihoudi in the old city of Fez.
In the 15th century, under the Merinid dynasty, the Sultan called for building a walled Jewish quarter in the area that neighbors the royal palace. That zone was a bustling market where Jewish merchants traded in salt (ar. melha) and hence the newly built Jewish quarter, completed in 1438, came to be known as Mellah.
The transition of the Jewish inhabitants from the old city to the newly established quarter was not straightforward. The Jews were given a delay to abandon their homes, businesses, and life in the old city and move to the Mellah. Some families, for instance, opted for converting to Islam in order to remain in the Medina and keep their belongings.
Since the mid-twentieth century, the Jews started moving out of the Mellah to settle in the modern ville nouvelle or to leave the country. The Mellah today is rather an open market, inhabited entirely by Muslims with a few standing monuments, houses, and landmarks that speak for a rich and remarkable Jewish heritage.
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