The Mellah is the old Jewish quarter of Fez, established in 1438 by the Merinid sultan to house — and control — the city's Jewish community. The name probably comes from the Arabic for salt, a reference to the Jews' role in salting the heads of executed criminals before they were displayed on the city walls. It is a grim etymology for a neighbourhood that was, in its time, a thriving centre of commerce and religious life.
The Mellah is immediately recognisable by its distinctive architecture: tall, narrow townhouses with iron-railed balconies overhanging the street at the upper floors, a style quite different from the blank-walled interiors of Fes el-Bali. The old synagogues — including the Ibn Danan and Al Fassiyine — still stand, some in varying states of repair. The Jewish cemetery, just outside the Mellah walls, is one of the largest in Morocco and well maintained.