Fez: the Museum of Moroccan Jewish Culture opens in the Mellah

Fez has a new museum, and it sits in the Mellah, the city's old Jewish quarter, at the foot of the Royal Palace. The Museum of Moroccan Jewish Culture was inaugurated on Monday 12 October 2026. Here is what it shows, what has been officially announced for visitors, how to combine it with the rest of Fès el-Jdid, and where to leave your suitcase in the meantime.

What has just opened in the Mellah

The museum was built on land donated by the Jewish community of Fez. The project, launched in 2019 as part of the medina rehabilitation programme, was led by ADER-Fès, with the Fondation Nationale des Musées (FNM) handling the museum fit-out. The building covers more than 1,700 m², including about 1,200 m² of exhibition space.

The permanent exhibition gives an overall reading of Judeo-Moroccan culture. According to the FNM and the Moroccan press, it includes:

• ritual objects and everyday objects;
• archaeological, ethnographic and artistic pieces;
• archives, books and rare manuscripts;
• themed sections, including "Morocco, land of encounter" and traditional crafts.

It is a place apart: a public museum entirely devoted to the country's Jewish memory, set in the very quarter where that history was written in Fez.

Hours and prices: what is official today

The museum has only just opened, so hours and prices may still change. Check the official museum page on fnm.ma the day before you go. Avoid Tuesday at all costs.

Half a day in the Mellah and Fès el-Jdid

The museum combines easily with the other sights of the quarter, all within walking distance of each other:

• The Royal Palace gates (Dar el-Makhzen), on Place des Alaouites at the edge of the Mellah. The palace cannot be visited, but its great golden doors, framed by zellige tiles and carved wood, can be admired from the square.
• The Ibn Danan synagogue, from the 17th century, restored with the World Monuments Fund and reopened in 1999. The entrance is a discreet door with little signage, so ask the way. Check hours and the entry fee on the spot.
• Rue Bou Ksissat, the Mellah's main street, with houses whose balconies face the street.
• The Jewish cemetery, with its white tombs, on the edge of the quarter.

Afterwards, Bab Boujloud and Fès el-Bali are a few minutes away by petit taxi. Our guide to visiting the Fez medina without luggage covers that part of the day.

Where to leave your luggage in Fez

BoxSpot's Fez point is Barber Shop Alami, in the ville nouvelle. It is open every day from 12pm to 10pm. It is not in the Mellah: take a petit taxi and follow the itinerary in your booking to get there, then another petit taxi to the Mellah.

On site, show your booking: the partner scans your QR code and takes a time-stamped photo of your bags. When you come back, you show the same QR code; bags are only returned against that code.

Arriving in the morning?

Flying in? See also our article on Fès-Saïss airport with luggage.

A sample day, with the price

You arrive in Fez around 11.30am on a Thursday and leave in the evening. Drop-off at Barber Shop Alami at 12.15pm, petit taxi to the Mellah, museum from 1pm to 3pm, Royal Palace gates, Ibn Danan synagogue, then a stop at Bab Boujloud. Back at the point around 7.15pm. Seven hours of storage: an hourly booking is capped at the day price, so 59 MAD for one bag. Two people with two suitcases pay 59 + 49 = 108 MAD.

Payment is made online, in dirhams, by card. All options are on the Fez luggage storage page.

Check before you go

• The day: not Tuesday, when the museum is closed.
• Entry prices, not yet published at the time of writing.
• The time: Morocco has been on GMT all year round since 20 September 2026. In winter it gets dark early, so start with the Mellah if you want to see the palace gates in daylight.
• Collecting your bags before 10pm.