Mellah of Marrakech

The mellah was established in 1558 beside the royal kasbah, and for four hundred years it was among the largest Jewish quarters in the Muslim world, with a population that at times ran to tens of thousands working as silversmiths, traders, tailors and moneylenders; the community left almost entirely between the 1950s and 1970s and now numbers in the low hundreds in the city. The quarter's physical form is distinct from the rest of the medina: taller buildings, and balconies facing outward onto the street rather than inward onto courtyards, which was permitted here and not elsewhere. What remains is the Lazama synagogue, still in use, the Miaara cemetery, spice and jewellery stalls in the souk, and street names restored in Hebrew and Arabic in a 2010s programme. It is otherwise an ordinary and busy medina quarter occupied by other residents.

What you actually see

• Outward balconies - a building form permitted here and not in the rest of the medina.
• A 1558 foundation - beside the kasbah, and one of the largest such quarters anywhere.
• Lazama and Miaara - the working synagogue and the cemetery behind the wall.
• Restored street names - Hebrew and Arabic signage put back in a 2010s programme.

When to go

October to April. Half a day, with the synagogue and cemetery.

Honest expectations

The community is almost entirely gone and the quarter is occupied by others - there is little to see beyond the buildings. Guides offer heritage tours of variable accuracy. The synagogue and cemetery close on Shabbat. The spice souk is heavily touted.

Nearby

The Bahia palace is north; the Saadian tombs are west.