The Mellah of Marrakech, formerly Hay Essalam, is the historic Jewish quarter of the city. Created by Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib in 1558 next to the kasbah and El Badi Palace, it is the second-oldest mellah in Morocco after Fez. Once home to up to 40,000 people, it is now a quiet medina district with the restored Lazama Synagogue and a working spice market.
Why visit
The Mellah is the second-oldest Jewish quarter in Morocco and one of the most layered historic neighbourhoods in Marrakech. Founded by a Saadian sultan and home to a community that once numbered 40,000, it preserves Lazama Synagogue, the Miâra cemetery and a working spice market that still feeds half the city.
What to expect
Narrow alleys with second-storey balconies, the restored Lazama Synagogue with its bright blue courtyard, the Miâra cemetery on the southern edge of the quarter, and the open-air spice market just inside the main gate. Streets carry restored Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic names since King Mohammed VI's 2016 decree.
Best time
Morning, when the spice market is busiest and the synagogue is most reliably open. Avoid Saturdays and major Jewish holidays for synagogue visits, when most religious sites close.
Price range
Free to walk: the Mellah is a public quarter of the medina, with no gate and no entrance fee.
The historic sites inside it are ticketed separately — the Lazama Synagogue and the Miâara Jewish cemetery each charge a small admission collected at the door.
Bring small dirham notes: those admissions are handled in cash by the caretaker on site, not online.
Practical tips
Cover shoulders and knees out of respect, especially inside religious buildings. A small donation is expected at Lazama Synagogue and at the Miâra cemetery gatehouse. Combine with El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs and Bahia Palace, all within a 10-minute medina walk.
The word comes from the Arabic 'mallah', meaning 'salt' or 'saline area', after either a saline spring or a former salt warehouse on the Marrakech site. The term originally had no negative meaning and was simply a local toponym before being applied to Jewish quarters across Morocco.
In 1558, by decree of Saadian sultan Moulay Abdallah al-Ghalib. The community was relocated from scattered medina addresses into a single walled quarter beside the royal kasbah and the soon-to-be-built El Badi Palace.
Yes. The Lazama (Slat al-Azama) Synagogue, founded in the 16th century by Sephardic refugees from Spain, is the best-known active synagogue in the Mellah and is open to visitors most days outside of Shabbat and major Jewish holidays.
No, the Mellah is a public neighbourhood — there is no entry fee for the quarter itself. Individual sites such as the Lazama Synagogue ask for a small donation, and the Miâra cemetery is free to visit.