Fes - Day 2

Our second day in Fes. We went to the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter. The Mellah was created in the 15^th century when the Jews were forced out of the Medina by pogroms. Fes’s Jewish community suffered repressive measures until the beginning of the French protectorate in 1912. Faced with an uncertain future after Morocco gained independence in 1956, nearly all of Fes’s Jews migrated to Israel, the U.S. or Casablanca. Our guide said only 6,000 Jews remain in Morocco today. We visited an old synagogue that has been restored and is used twice a month. Then we explored the Mellah with its ornate balconies and forged-iron windows on our own. After that we went to a ceramics factory and shop, and to lunch by the blue gate. Tonight we will have a photo critique and pizza.