▁market ▁square , ▁but ▁over ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁stead ily ▁enc ro ached ▁upon ▁by ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁sh ops ▁and ▁houses . ▁The ▁street ' s ▁western ▁end ▁is ▁very ▁narrow ▁and ▁was ▁once ▁a ▁cul - de - s ac , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁opened ▁up ▁after ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁when ▁the ▁French ▁created ▁the ▁open ▁square ▁called ▁Place ▁du ▁Com merce ▁behind ▁Bab ▁al - Amer , ▁allowing ▁ped est ri ans ▁today ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁M ella h ▁from ▁either ▁end . ▁The ▁main ▁market ▁street ▁also ▁marks ▁a ▁rough ▁division ▁between ▁the ▁" Upper " ▁and ▁" Lower " ▁M ella h . ▁ ▁The ▁Upper ▁M ella h ▁▁ ▁The ▁Upper ▁M ella h ▁was ▁centered ▁around ▁Der b ▁al - F ou qi , ▁a ▁street ▁which ▁branch ed ▁off ▁Der b ▁al - S ou q ▁from ▁just ▁inside ▁Bab ▁el - M ella h . ▁Der b ▁al - F ou qi , ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" High ▁Street ", ▁ran ▁north ▁and ▁roughly ▁parallel ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁street ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁It ▁finished ▁in ▁a ▁dead - end ▁to ▁the ▁west , ▁but ▁was ▁still ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁street ▁via ▁several ▁alle ys ▁branch ing ▁off ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁This ▁neighbourhood ▁contained ▁the ▁resid ences ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community ' s ▁b our ge ois ie ▁and ▁upper ▁class , ▁as ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁many ▁rich ▁houses , ▁the ▁best -