Morocco again28 Fes Mellah

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The Medina of Fez (UNESCO Heritage Site) is considered as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world. The city has two old medina quarters, the larger of which is Fes el Bali. It is listed as a World Heritage Site and is believed to be one of the world's largest urban pedestrian zones (car-free areas)

At the start of the 13th century Andalusians broke down the Idrisid city walls and constructed new ones, which covered a much wider space. These Almohad walls exist to this day as the outline of Fes el Bali

Under Almohad rule the city grew to become the largest in the world between 1170 and 1180, with an estimated 200.000 people living there

In 1250 Fez regained its capital status under the Marinid dynasty. In 1276 after a massacre by the population to kill all Jews that was stopped by intervention of the Emir, they founded Fes Jdid, which they made their administrative and military centre

The cemetery

Decorative gate

Until the 19th century it was the only source of fezzes (also known as the tarboosh). Then manufacturing began in France and Turkey as well. Originally, the dye for the hats came from a berry that was grown outside the city, known as the Turkish kızılcık or Greek akenia (Cornus mas)

The fez is a felt headdress of two

types: either in the shape of a truncated

cone made of red felt, or a short cylinder made of kilim fabric,

both usually with a tassel attached

to the top.

The American Fondouk was founded in 1927 at the behest of Amy Bend Bishop, an American traveler who was distressed by the poor conditions of the many working animals in Fez Medina. The American Fondouk continues to be a charitable veterinary hospital, providing free treatment for thousands of animals each year

The famous golden doors to the Royal Palace in Fez (Dar El-Makhzen)

Gate and city walls near Place

des Alaouites, entrance to

Mellah quarter

A gate (Gate of Order) of the Fes Jdid quarter

Grand Taxi are large Old

Mercedes which are shared between 6

passengers, 2 in front seat, 4 in the rear.  It is

more comfortable to pay 2 places per person, in

that case you can sit alone in the front, or with 3 people in the

back instead of 4.

The Jewish quarter of Fez, the Mellah was built in 1438A mellah is a walled Jewish quarter of a city in Morocco, analogous to the European ghetto

At first was seen as a privilege and a protection against the Arabs' attacks in the region, but with the growing of the population, it then became a poor and miserable place

In cities, a mellah was

surrounded by a wall with a

fortified gateway

Usually, the Jewish quarter was situated near the royal palace or the residence of the governor, in order to protect its inhabitants from recurring riots since its inhabitants played a vital role in the local economy

The first official mellah was established in the city of Fez in 1438. The mellah of Fez was not always successful in protecting its dwellers. On May 14, 1465, its inhabitants were nearly all killed by the rebels who overthrew the Merinid dynasty.That attack sparked a wave of violence against the Jews all over Morocco. The immediate cause of the anti-Jewish violence was the appointment of a Jew to the post of vizier

For a long time, the mellah of Fez remained the only

one, and only in the second half of

the 16th century (around 1557) the

term mellah appears

in Marrakesh, with the

settlement there of Jewish

population from the Atlas and from the city

of Aghmat

Only in 1682 the third mellah was founded in the town of Meknes, the new capital of sultan Moulay Ismail

Since the establishment of

the State of Israel, in 1948,

almost all Moroccan Jews have emigrated

to the new Jewish state, some

fleeing persecution and

some encouraged by

the Jewish Agency.

As a result, nowadays mellah

s are only inhabited by

Muslims, the few remaining Jews have moved to

modern quarters of Moroccan

towns. A large part of them has

become historical places to visit

while in Morocco.

Bab SemmarineThe gates was regularly shut every evening

about nine o'clock, after which time no person whatever is permitted to enter or go

out... till... the following morning

Bab Semmarine – a main entrance to Fez Jdid, originally the city’s main food storage site

Sound: Neta Elkayam - Evening of Moroccan Jews 2016

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Sanda Negruțiu Internet slide1,2Copyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuhttps://plus.google.com/+SandaMichaela