jewish quarters or mellah.

Fes is home to the first Jewish quarters (“mellah”) of Morocco.  The Jewish people were in Fes at the time of Idris I, living among the Muslim population within the old medina, but at some point between the 13th and 15th centuries, separate quarters were created for them near the Royal Palace.  Scholars disagree as to the reasons for the move, but if you ask people in Fes today, they will tell you that the Jewish people were valuable to the Sultan, and he wanted them nearby and safe. Moroccans take pride of their rich history of religious co-existence, as you will see not just in the mellah but in the old medina as well.