Bab el-Mellah (Mellah Gate), Fes

Bab el-Mellah is a historic gateway marking the entrance to the old Jewish quarter. Its original design used a bent passage, forcing travellers to change direction as they entered, while two defensive towers strengthened the approach. The quarter developed beside the royal precinct during the Marinid period, a position that placed its Jewish population close to the protection of the sultan.

The name mellah originally referred to this area and probably relates to a saline water source or former salt warehouse; its precise origin remains debated. The term was later adopted for Jewish quarters elsewhere in Morocco. Sephardic refugees arriving from Iberia joined older Jewish communities, shaping local traditions. Many houses retain outward-facing windows and wooden balconies.

Nearby, the Slat al-Fassiyin Synagogue preserves another layer of this heritage. After religious use declined in the 20th century, it served as a carpet workshop and later a boxing gym before being restored in 2013. The Jewish cemetery forms a striking field of whitewashed tombs, including that of Sol Hachuel, a 17-year-old Jewish woman executed in 1834 whose grave became a pilgrimage site visited by both Jews and Muslims.