Historic street · Fes mellah
Rue des Mérinides, Fes Mellah
Rue des Mérinides is the street most visitors see first in the Fes mellah: a line of tall houses with open balconies running along the southern wall of the Royal Palace. Laid out by the French in 1924, it shows the outward-facing style of mellah architecture, quite unlike the closed façades of the Muslim medina. It is a public street you can walk at any time.
How the street came about
In 1924 the French authorities demolished a row of modest shops and stables on the northern edge of the mellah to build a road for vehicles between the Jewish quarter and the southern wall of the Royal Palace. First called Rue Boukhessissat (also written Bou Khsisat), it was later renamed Rue des Mérinides, after the Marinid dynasty that founded Fes el-Jdid in 1276.
The old shops were replaced with more showy boutiques built in the style of the mellah’s Jewish houses, with open balconies and decorated fronts. Some of the balconies are quite ornate, with sculpted motifs, and the street still keeps this character today.
What to look for
The balconies are the point. Houses in the mellah are known for their open, street-facing balconies and many windows, while traditional houses elsewhere in Fes show almost nothing to the street. The open style is relatively recent: older mellah houses follow the same inward-looking plan as their Muslim neighbours. Both kinds are built around an interior courtyard with a gallery, and wealthier homes could have carved wood and stucco inside.
The houses are private homes, many with shops on the ground floor. Admire them from the street and ask before photographing residents.
Behind the street
Rue des Mérinides is the front of a much larger quarter, best explored with a guide. Just behind it runs Derb al-Souq, the mellah’s historic main street and market, which divides the Upper Mellah from the Lower Mellah. The Upper Mellah grew around Derb al-Fouqi, the “High Street”, home to wealthier families, many of Iberian origin. Its best-known residence was the Ben Simhon House. The quarter even had a Muslim-run oven so that bread could be baked on Shabbat.
In the Lower Mellah are the Ibn Danan Synagogue, believed to date from the late 17th century, and the Slat al-Fassiyin, reputed to be the oldest synagogue in the mellah. The Jewish cemetery fills one corner of the quarter, and the new Museum of Moroccan Jewish Culture opened in the mellah in October 2026.
Visiting tips
The street runs along the palace wall between Place des Alaouites, by the gates of the Royal Palace, and Bab Semmarine, the gate of Fes el-Jdid at its eastern end. Morning light is good for the façades. Walk it at the start of a mellah visit for orientation, then head into the lanes behind with a guide who can open the synagogues. Our page on the Fes mellah covers the quarter as a whole.
Rue des Mérinides: questions travellers ask
Can I go inside the balconied houses?
They are private homes, though many have shops on the ground floor. A guide can sometimes suggest a house or shop where you can see an interior.
Do Jewish families still live on Rue des Mérinides?
Very few, if any. By 1997 only about 150 Jews remained in the whole of Fes, and none were recorded living in the mellah itself.
Do I need a guide for the street?
Not for the street itself, which is easy to walk. A guide makes a real difference for the lanes and synagogues behind it.
Sources. Wikipedia (Mellah of Fez); Medias24 (2026). Researched and fact-checked by Gateway2Morocco, October 2026. Access to religious sites changes; we confirm every visit when we plan your trip.
