Fès Mellah and Ibn Danan Synagogue

The Mellah of Fès, in the Fès el-Jdid district of Morocco, has been the Jewish quarter since 1438, when the community was moved here beside the royal palace. Its architecture differs from the rest of the city: tall houses with wooden balconies and street-facing windows, unusual in Moroccan cities where homes typically turn inward to courtyards. The main attraction is the Ibn Danan Synagogue on Rue Ibn Danan, a 17th-century building restored in recent decades. Inside, visitors see a rectangular prayer hall with an elevated reader's platform, carved plasterwork, cedar and tilework, and a lower-level ritual bath. Nearby, the large whitewashed Jewish cemetery, with its closely packed tombs, documents the once-substantial community that lived here before most families emigrated in the 20th century. The synagogue is open daily from around 9:00 to 17:00, closed Saturdays, with admission of about 20 MAD, but hours should be confirmed locally. A visit to the synagogue takes about 45 minutes, and wandering the surrounding streets, with their jewellery shops and old market lanes, adds time. Morning is the best time, when light enters the prayer hall and groups are fewer. The Mellah is reached by petit taxi from Bab Bou Jeloud for about 10 MAD, or on foot through Fès el-Jdid past the Royal Palace gates. Visitors are asked to dress modestly, and men may be asked to cover their heads at religious sites. Photography is typically allowed inside the synagogue but should be confirmed with the caretaker. Crowds are modest throughout the year, with brief peaks when tour groups arrive around late morning.