▁here ▁as ▁cru de ▁sh el ters ▁for ▁its ▁inhabitants . ▁The ▁latter ▁were ▁probably ▁recent ▁migr ants ▁to ▁the ▁M ella h ▁from ▁other ▁rural ▁towns . ▁Over ▁time , ▁regular ▁housing ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁their ▁place . ▁Between ▁the ▁c emetery ▁and ▁En - Now aw el ▁there ▁was ▁once ▁an ▁open ▁space ▁used ▁for ▁games . ▁The ▁neighbourhood ▁also ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁o ven ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁h amm am ▁( b ath house ). ▁ ▁Syn agog ues ▁▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁syn agog ues ▁in ▁the ▁M ella h ▁were ▁merely ▁pre - ex isting ▁rooms ▁within ▁private ▁resid ences ▁which ▁were ▁converted ▁by ▁the ▁own ers ▁into ▁places ▁of ▁worship ▁and ▁sust ained ▁by ▁member ▁don ations . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁almost ▁everyone ▁lived ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁steps ▁of ▁a ▁syn agog ue , ▁but ▁very ▁few ▁syn agog ues ▁were ▁supported ▁through ▁public ▁fund ing . ▁A ▁few ▁of ▁them , ▁however , ▁were ▁larger ▁and ▁were ▁decor ated ▁with ▁z ellij ▁m osa ic ▁t iles , ▁car ved ▁st u cco , ▁and ▁painted ▁wooden ▁ce il ings , ▁typically ▁using ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁decor ative ▁re per to ires ▁as ▁Islam ic ▁architecture ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁best - known ▁syn agog ues ▁of ▁the ▁M ella h ▁are ▁the ▁I bn ▁Dan an ▁Syn agog ue , ▁believed ▁to ▁date ▁from ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁S lat ▁al