Souk & market · Mellah
The Mellah
The old Jewish quarter beside the royal palace: a covered food market, spice stalls and the Lazama synagogue.
- Opening hours
- Always open
- Ticket
- Free
- Time needed
- 1 h
- Best time
- Morning
- Jemaa el-Fna
- 10 min on foot
Why go
Most visitors stop at the Bahia and turn back, never crossing into the Mellah next door.
Founded in the 16th century under the sultan’s protection, the Mellah still looks different from the rest of the Medina, with balconies and wider streets. Its covered market sells food and household goods to locals, not souvenirs.
Visit the restored Lazama synagogue and the Jewish cemetery, then the Place des Ferblantiers and its lantern makers on the way back to the Bahia.
Tips
- Combine with the Bahia and El Badi palaces, both a few minutes away.
- The synagogue and cemetery charge a small entry fee and close for Shabbat.
- Photo tip: The spice stalls and lantern shops around Place des Ferblantiers in morning light.
Practical
Mellah, Medina, Marrakech
10 min on foot from Jemaa el-Fna
Always open
Free
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Tickets & tours
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Nearby
-
Bahia Palace
A 19th-century vizier’s palace of painted cedar ceilings, zellige and courtyards of orange trees.
-
Dar Si Said Museum
A palace of the Bahia’s builders, now the national museum of carpets and weaving.
-
El Badi Palace
The vast ochre ruins of a 16th-century palace, with storks on the walls and the Atlas from the ramparts.
-
Riad Monceau Cooking Class
A relaxed class in a riad courtyard, from starters to dessert, ending with the tea ceremony.
Stay nearby
-
Riad Kaiss
Nine rooms around two patios and a pool, five minutes from Jemaa el-Fna and the Bahia.
-
Riad Noos Noos
A lively, great-value riad by the spice market and the Bahia, with a spa and a panoramic roof.
-
Riad Melhoun
Two pools, one heated on the roof, a few minutes from the Bahia and El Badi palaces.
-
Riad Dar Najat
A colourful, fully renovated riad with a heated pool on the roof, ten minutes from the square.
Marrakist Concierge