The Jewish cemetery outside the Mellah walls is one of the oldest and largest in Morocco, with graves dating to the fifteenth century and continuing to the present day — a handful of Jewish families still live in Fez and use it. The white-painted stone graves, many covered with fabric and candles, are maintained in good order. The older sections contain the tombs of important rabbis and scholars, some with elaborate carved headstones.
Morocco has done more than most countries to maintain its Jewish heritage sites, and the Fez cemetery is part of that effort. It is open to visitors; a small donation to the caretaker is appropriate. The cemetery provides an unusually clear window onto a community that was once a major part of Fassi life and has now almost entirely emigrated. At its peak in the early twentieth century, the Jewish population of Fez numbered around 15,000.