▁Jews ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁city . ▁The ▁urban ▁fabric ▁of ▁the ▁M ella h ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁developed ▁progress ively ▁and ▁it ' s ▁possible ▁that ▁a ▁small ▁Jewish ▁population ▁settled ▁here ▁right ▁after ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁F es ▁el - J did ▁and ▁that ▁other ▁Jews ▁fle eing ▁the ▁old ▁city ▁joined ▁them ▁later . ▁Some ▁authors ▁attribute ▁the ▁move ▁more ▁specifically ▁to ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁the ▁" red isc overy " ▁of ▁Id ris ▁II ' s ▁body ▁in ▁his ▁zaw i ya ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁ 1 4 3 7 . ▁The ▁area ▁around ▁the ▁mos que , ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁main ▁commercial ▁districts , ▁was ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁h orm ▁( san ctu ary ) ▁where ▁non - Mus lim s ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁enter , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁inhabitants ▁there . ▁Many ▁other ▁sch ol ars ▁date ▁the ▁move ▁generally ▁to ▁the ▁mid - 1 5 th ▁century . ▁In ▁any ▁case , ▁the ▁transfer ▁( wh ether ▁progress ive ▁or ▁sudden ) ▁occurred ▁with ▁some ▁violence ▁and ▁hard ship . ▁Many ▁Jewish ▁households ▁chose ▁to ▁convert ▁( at ▁least ▁officially ) ▁rather ▁than ▁leave ▁their ▁homes ▁and ▁their ▁business es ▁in ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁city , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁growing ▁group ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁al - B ald i yy in ▁( Mus lim ▁families ▁of ▁Jewish ▁origin , ▁often ▁retain ing ▁Jewish ▁s urn ames ). ▁▁ ▁Bro