Antique Shopping in the Mellah of the Fez Medina

The Mellah, or Jewish quarter of the Fez Medina, is a wonderful place to explore. Not only does it have very different architecture than the Muslim areas of the city, but it is also home to the gold souq and some of the best antique furniture shops.

Tucked away in a side market near the gates of the Royal Palace, and to one side of the Mellah, is the place for hunting out the odd, the unusual and the very old. Much of the furniture is of from the colonial French era, but there are other finds to be made.

At first glance it looks like junk...

The first official mellah was established in the city of Fes in 1438. In the first half of the 14th century, the Marinids founded, alongside Fes, the town of Hims, which was initially allocated to the archers and the Christian militia. In 1438 the Jews were driven from the old part of Fes to Hims, which had been built on a site known asal-Mallah, "the saline area". 

Ultimately, the term came to designate Jewish quarters in other Moroccan cities. Initially, there was nothing derogatory about this term: some documents employ the expression "mellah of the Muslims", and the Jewish quarter contained large and beautiful dwellings which were favored residences for "the agents and ambassadors of foreign princes". 

Later on, however, popular etymology explained the word mellah as a "salted, cursed ground" or a place where the Jews "salted the heads of decapitated rebels”, highlighting the outcast connotations attached to this word.

Once inside the shops the treasures are everywhere

Map of the Mellah - the red spot is the antique area

How to get there: Take a taxi to the royal palace, or park in the carpark opposite the steps up to the palace doors. Around the carpark is a junk market that's worth browsing. There's a lot of rubbish but occasionally you spot something worthwhile.

Past the entrance to the Jewish cemetery, you'll come across massive gates on the right and inside is a yard surrounded by small shops. There's a lot of junk, and some pretty awful modern furniture. But some of the shops are wonderful Aladdin's caves full of interesting objects. You can find Moroccan artefacts such as flower water shakers, painted shelves and brass lanterns, even large doors. There are lots of European pieces of furniture, mostly from the 1930s that must have been left behind by the French, even the odd piano or roll-top bureau. You might find a marble-topped cafe table or a wrought-iron Singer sewing-machine table complete with treadle. There are plenty of chandeliers and lamps, wonderful photographs, old radio sets, glassware, jewellery, silverware and cutlery. But things don't hang around long - you have to move fast. So if you see something you want, don't put off buying it until "next time".

A point to note: If you make large purchases, the shop-owners will gladly arrange for a 'honda' (a small van) to take your precious cargo back to the medina. If you're in the process of restoration, they're also very good about looking after your goods until your house is ready for occupation.


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Fez Celebrates Synagogue Restoration

The two-year long restoration project of the 17th century Slat Alfassiyine synagogue in Fez is now complete and yesterday the Prime Minister was in Fez to attend the opening.

The public in the Ville Nouvelle may have wondered at the traffic delays and the increased security, but few had any idea that the large motorcade that swept through the city was on its way to the Mellah, the Jewish Quarter. In the motorcade were not only the Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, but also Serge Berdugo, a Jewish former minister in the Moroccan government and the present Speaker of the German Parliament, Norbert Lambert.

Morocco Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane (right), Hamid Chabat Mayor of Fez and Secretary General of  Istiqlal Party  (left) (photo AFP)

The bringing together of an Islamist Prime Minister and a German Parliamentarian was just one sign of how importantly the synagogue reopening is seen. Morocco's King Mohammed was unable to attend, but in a message read by Prime Minister Benkirane he hailed the country's "spiritual wealth and diversity" of Morocco. "The secular traditions of Moroccan civilization drew their essence from the fact that Moroccans are deeply ingrained with the values of coexistence, tolerance and harmony between the different components of the nation," the king said. He went on to call for the renovation of all Jewish places of worship.

What is important to note is that the new constitution adopted in 2011 against the background of the Arab Spring, recognised Morocco's Jewish heritage as part of Morocco's national identity.

Norbert Lambert, was present representing Germany because the country donated 160,000 Euro to the restoration project

The ceremony was held in the Medina of Fez, a UNESCO world heritage site, and was attended by more than two hundred guests. Morocco historically had a vibrant Jewish population and 1,200 of the faith's pious ancestors are buried in cemeteries across the country, and ae now regarded as places of pilgrimage by the 50,000 or more Jewish visitors each year. Although Morocco which was home to a community of almost 250,000 in the first half of the 20th century, the total number of Jews in Morocco is now estimated to number less than 3,000.

Jewish families in Fez circa 1900

In 1900, Fez, then the imperial capital, had 10,000 Jews out of a population of 100,000 and 20 synagogues, according to Simon Levy, a specialist on Judaism in Morocco.


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Cultural Tour of the Fez Jewish Quarter

Outside Bab Semmarine in the Mellah 

The ancient Jewish quarter or Mellah of Fez is one of the oldest in Morocco. Although no Jews still live there, its rich history and different style of architecture are well worth exploring. The Mimouna Club of Fez is offering a Cultural Tour of the Mellah of Fez on Sunday January 27th, which they describe as "a tour of learning, discovery and understanding". 

"We invite Moroccans and non-Moroccans to take this trip to the past of Moroccan Judaism in the city of Fez which was once known as the city of Jews," says Youness Abeddour, the president of the Mimouna Club. He explains that the Club first started on April 2007 at Al Akhawayne University in Ifrane, and the Fez chapter was launched last June. 2012. "It's a non-profit organisation that seeks to educate the Moroccan people about the Moroccan Jewish Culture and to encourage harmony between Jews and Muslims in Morocco," he says.

Main street of the Fez Mellah, showing unusual exterior balconies

The Cultural Tour of the Mellah on January 27th includes a visit to the Jewish cemetery where grand rabbis are buried. "We will meet with the caretaker of the cemetery and the curator of the small museum in the edge of the cemetery, Mr. Edmond Gabbay," says Youness. "Then we will head to the 17th century synagogue, Aben Danan synagogue. It is now World Heritage listed. The caretaker of the synagogue, Omar, is a Moroccan Muslim. From there, we will continue our walk to synagogue El Fassiyeen, a recently restored synagogue by the Moroccan Jewish museum of Casablanca."

Participants in the last tour in the Fez Mellah

Last time they ran this tour, "We visited the tombs of the Grand Rabbis, and of the famous Sol Hatzadikah. After telling her story, they did not hesitate to light candles and show respect to her spirit. Learning about the tradition of putting a stone on the tombs to mark one’s visit, they put some olives on the tomb of Benjamine Serero, the Jew who was murdered in the Mellah, and on the tomb of the well-known Jewish lady, Solika, who chose to live in the Mellah until she died few months ago.”

Youness Abeddour will be leading the tour and emphasises that questions are welcome.

What: Cultural Tour of the Mellah of Fez
When: January 27th at 10 AM.
Meet: Main gate of the Mellah
Cost: 30 dhs.

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Notorious DJ Makes Mesmeric Music @ Mezzanine

If the heat and beat of the Fez Festival has you needing to chill, then catch up the the music at the Mezzanine opposite the entrance to Jnan Sbil Gardens. Daniel has a huge range of great music and is in action from around 5.30. After nine you can check him out at Maison Blanche.

Don't get lost in the Fez Medina tonight!

It is a big night at the Fez Sacred Music Festival with the "Night in the Medina Programme".

As there are several venues you may wish to plan your evening and to assist we published maps with the locations of each venue marked.

Please go to the link below for the full programme and with maps that can be enlarged and printed out:

Programme and Maps

Fez Sacred Music: Monday night's programme

An exciting array of concerts is planned for Monday night, to be held in various venues across the medina.

SYNAGOGUE BEN DANAN, MELLAH

20h00 and 21h30: Gulay Hacer Toruk and ensemble from Turkey

DAR MOKRI

20h00: Ustad Gholam Hossain and ensemble from Afghanistan

21h30: Camille & Clement Ducol from France

DAR ADIYEL

20h00 and 22h00: Epi from Mongolia

21h00: Rajab Suleiman Qanun Trio from Tanzania

DAR TAZI

20h00: The Musicians of the Nile from Upper Egypt

22h00: Ustad Gholam Hossain and ensemble from Afghanistan

23h00: Mtendeni Maulid Sufi ensemble from Zanzibar

BATHA MUSEUM

20h00: Kiya and Ziya Tabassian from Iran/Canada

22h00: Constantinople Ensemble and Barbara Furtuna Ensemble from Corsica

The idea is that you can choose the concerts you want to see, and walk from one venue to another. The concerts last about one hour, so there should be time to take in at least two events.

The medina is not too easy to negotiate if you don't know your way around, so here are some maps to help you. Click on the maps to enlarge.

THE VENUES

Each venue is marked on the maps below with coloured stars.

*The Ben Danan synagogue in Fes el-Jdid, or the Mellah, was built in 1438. It's one of four synagogues in the Mellah and is now a museum. To get to the Mellah, take a small red taxi either to the royal palace gates or to just before Bab Semmarine (this is a one-way street and taxis can't take you further into the Mellah from this direction). See* on the map for taxi ranks. To return to the medina, you'll find most taxis near Bab Semmarine.

Mellah map

*The Batha Museum is the venue for afternoon concerts at the Festival and is easy to find near the Batha Hotel.

* Dar Tazi is the headquarters of Fes Saiss, the organisers of the Festival, and hosts the Sufi Nights daily from 23h00. From the Batha Hotel, take the flight of steps opposite and walk down the road to the mosque and carpark at the bottom. Dar Tazi's massive wooden gates are right in front of you.

mid-medina map

*Dar (and often called Riyad) Mokri is in Oued Souaffine and is used as a training school for architectural artisans. It has one of the most beautiful gardens in the medina. From Tala'a Sghira, turn into Sidi Mohamed Belhaj and follow the street until you reach a small square with a mosque. Turn left here, walk past Riad Alkantara and take the next turning to the left. Dar Mokri is in front of you; the school's sign is prominent and reads OFPTT.

*Dar Adiyel is an 18th century former house of government, now used as a music conservatory for the Academy of Andalusian classical music. From Tala'a Sghira, follow twisty Derb Errom until you come to a wide square with a large wall fountain (Oued Rchacha). Diagonally opposite are some steps - walk up these and the conservatory is on your left a little further on.

To see all the Fez Festival 2010 stories on The View from Fez, click HERE!

Maps courtesy of Fez from Bab to Bab by Hammad Berrada, published by PM Editions.

Five reasons to visit Fez

Time Magazine's latest edition punts five reasons to visit Fez.Sadly, they make some surprising errors in geography and research information!


"June 4 marks the start of the 16th annual Sacred Music Festival, fesfestival.com, in Fez — Morocco's culinary and artistic HQ. This year's headliners include everyone from American indie luminary Ben Harper to jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp to poets from Afghanistan, Mongolia and Iran, who'll perform along with whirling dervishes and Sufi transcendentals within and beyond Fez's ancient Medina. Of course music is hardly the only allure of this city in the Atlas Mountains. The old walled city of Fez has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its thousands of labyrinth-like alleyways are a cultural and architectural trove. Here are five of the city's must-sees and must-dos.

1. RIAD NUMERO 9
Under the direction of Stephen Di Renza, a fashion historian and the former design director of Dunhill, this late 18th century courtyard home was converted by a team of 75 workers (including a restorer from the Louvre) into a tiny three-suite hotel and restaurant, riad9.com. Guests typically reserve the entire property, though nonresidents can book custom-designed Franco-Moroccan feasts served in a sunken dining room whose mod-Japanese interiors are a favorite of Di Renza's fashion-industry friends.

2. VOLUBILIS MUSEUM
Located between Fez and the royal city of Meknes is Volubilis, one of the most important Roman antiquities sites in the Maghreb and home to a new historical museum designed by Moroccan-American firm Kilo Architecture. Perched within sighting distance of the ruins themselves, Kilo's slim, angular galleries display artifacts from Volubilis and other important sites. While the museum is certainly stunning, Volubilis' 2,000-year-old ruins are obviously the real draw — a fascinating assemblage of granaries, villas, colorful mosaics and a monumental basilica. See sitedevolubilis.com.

3. CAFE CLOCK
Since its debut in the heart of the Medina, Café Clock, cafeclock.com, has emerged as a center of Fez's cosmopolitan social swirl. Opened by Briton Michael Richardson — former maître d' at London's posh Ivy — the café takes its name from the nearby Dar al-Magana — a house containing an elaborate 14th century water clock. Café Clock's terraces, sitting rooms and rooftop perch are the setting for weekly film screenings, beginner Arabic classes, cooking classes and traditional music recitals. Its Moroccan inspired fare, from almond and chicken couscous to a camel burger with fries, is equally enticing.

4. ATTARINE MADRASAH
Fez has been a major site of Islamic culture since its founding by Idris I in A.D. 789. At one time, its mosques and madrasahs were unrivaled in the Arab world. One of its most dazzling madrasahs, the Attarine Madrasah, or Medersa el-Attarine, has reopened its doors after a four-year restoration. Dating back to 1325, and anchored by a central courtyard fountain fed by an underground stream, this complex of marble floors, onyx columns and hand-carved, filigreed mashrabiyah (window) panels is considered the best example of its kind in Fez, if not all of North Africa.

5. THE MELLAH
Fez's once vibrant Jewish community may be long gone, but their legacy lives on in their former ghetto. Established in the 15th century, the Mellah is a warren of wooden-balconied homes around the now restored Ibn Danan Synagogue — one of Judaism's most intriguing monuments. Visit the Mellah to shop at tiny antiques boutiques (close to the Jewish cemetery) for the city's best collection of vintage furniture, decorative pieces and other objets d'art."

Oops!

While we can assure readers that Fez is not actually in the Atlas Mountains, and we know that the Volubilis Museum won't be ready to open for a while, these are indeed good reasons to visit Fez. But there are lots of others - what are your Top Five?