Moroccan King Mohammed VI Restores Jewish Names of Marrakech Ghetto

News Staff : Jan 6, 2017
Breaking Israel News

The royal intervention came in response to a request by the president of Marrakech Jewish community.

(Morocco) — [Breaking Israel News] The original names of the historic Jewish quarter of Marrakech, the famed Mellah (Arabic and Hebrew for salt), are being restored under the instructions of Moroccan King Mohammed VI, Maghreb Arabe Presse reported this week. (Photo Credit: Oliver Laumann)

Morocco’s Interior Ministry announced that, following the King’s recent visit to the neighborhood, which is currently known as the Essalam district, it will be renamed El Mellah. The original Jewish names of the area’s streets and squares will also be restored.

According to the Ministry’s statement, the “royal instructions emanate from the concern of the Sovereign […] to safeguard the civilized heritage of the Kingdom as well as the cultural heritage of all the components of Moroccan society.”

The royal intervention came in response to a request by the president of Marrakech Jewish community. There are an estimated few hundred Jews still living in El Mellah, situated in the city’s kasbah, east of Place des Ferblantiers…

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Breaking Israel News/JNI