Heaven Only Knows

Mellah

A mellah (Arabic: ملاح, romanized: Mallāḥ, lit. 'salt' or 'saline area'; and Hebrew: מלאח) is the place of residence historically assigned to Jewish communities in Morocco.The urban mellah, as it exists in numerous cities and large towns, is a Jewish quarter enclosed by a wall and a fortified gateway, typically near the residence of the sultan or governor. In cities, the mellah was usually situated near the qaṣba (citadel), the royal palace, or the residence of the governor; some residents of the mellah held senior administrative positions and had to be available.The rural mellah, as it exists or existed in the mountainous regions of the Atlas and the Rif and in the plains regions reaching to the Sahara, is a relatively isolated open village inhabited exclusi… more »