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Mellah of Fez - Wikipedia

Captured 2025-11-22

42

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Mellah of Fez - Wikipedia

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This Wikipedia page provides a comprehensive historical account of the Mellah of Fez, the historic Jewish quarter located in Fes el-Jdid, Morocco. The page serves as both a geographical and cultural reference, documenting the evolution of one of Morocco's most significant Jewish communities from its origins in the 9th century through to its transformation into the dedicated mellah district in the mid-15th century. The article's primary focus is to trace the complex history of Jewish settlement in Fez, examining how political changes, religious policies, and urban development shaped the community's physical and social landscape over several centuries. The content reveals fascinating insights into the pre-mellah period (9th-14th centuries), when Jews lived integrated throughout Fez alongside the Muslim population. The page details how the original Jewish community was concentrated near Bab Guissa in the area called "Funduq el-Yihoudi" (hotel/warehouse of the Jew), and describes Fez's golden age as a center of Jewish intellectual renaissance in the 10th-11th centuries. Notable scholars like Maimonides, Dunash Ben Labrat, and Isaac al-Fasi lived and worked in the city during this period. However, the article also documents the dramatic persecution under the Almohad dynasty, which "abolished the jizya and the status of dhimmi, enforcing repressive measures against non-Muslims," forcing many Jews to convert or flee, before conditions improved under the more tolerant Marinid rule. The historical narrative culminates with the creation of the actual Mellah in the 15th century, when the Marinids relocated the entire Jewish population from Fes el-Bali to a new district in the southern part of Fes el-Jdid. This area had previously housed "Muslim garrisons, notably by the Sultan's mercenary contingents of Syrian archers" before becoming the Jewish quarter. The page provides precise geographical context, noting the district's location "between the inner and outer southern walls of the city" and explaining that the name "Mellah" (meaning 'salt' or 'saline area') derived from either a local saline water source or a former salt warehouse. This Wikipedia entry serves as a valuable academic resource for historians, urban planners, and those interested in Jewish diaspora studies or Moroccan cultural heritage. The page includes specific coordinates, references to multiple historical sources, and detailed cross-references to related topics like the broader history of Jews in Morocco and Judaism in Fez. While noting that the district "is no longer home to any significant Jewish population," the article emphasizes its continued importance as a repository of "monuments and landmarks from the Jewish community's historical heritage," making it relevant for both scholarly research and cultural tourism contexts.

Citation (APA Style)

Mellah of Fez - Wikipedia. (2025, 11 22). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellah_of_Fez

Technical Metadata

Domain en.wikipedia.org
File Size 536 KB
Archived 2025-11-22T01:04:23.249640
Document ID #42
Languages 5 available