rian ▁arch ers . ▁These ▁reg iments ▁were ▁dis band ed ▁around ▁ 1 3 2 5 ▁under ▁Sultan ▁Ab u ▁Sa ' id . ▁The ▁district ▁was ▁first ▁known ▁as ▁H ims , ▁but ▁also ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁M ella h ▁() ▁due ▁to ▁either ▁a ▁sal ine ▁water ▁source ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁or ▁to ▁the ▁former ▁presence ▁of ▁a ▁salt ▁w are house . ▁This ▁second ▁name ▁was ▁later ▁retained ▁as ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁quarter . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁" m ella h " ▁in ▁Mor oc co ; ▁a ▁name ▁and ▁phenomen on ▁that ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁rep licated ▁in ▁many ▁other ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁Mar ra ke ch . ▁( A ▁notable ▁exception ▁being ▁the ▁nearby ▁town ▁of ▁Se fr ou .) ▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁exact ▁reasons ▁and ▁the ▁exact ▁date ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁M ella h ▁of ▁F es ▁are ▁not ▁firm ly ▁established . ▁Historical ▁accounts ▁confirm ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 4 th ▁century ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁F es ▁were ▁still ▁living ▁in ▁F es ▁el - B ali ▁but ▁that ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁they ▁were ▁well - est ab lished ▁in ▁the ▁M ella h ▁of ▁F es ▁el - J did . ▁Some ▁authors ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁transfer ▁likely ▁happened ▁in ▁stages ▁across ▁the ▁Mar in id ▁period ▁( late ▁ 1 3 th ▁to ▁ 1 5 th ▁centuries ), ▁particularly ▁following ▁episodes ▁of ▁violence ▁or ▁repr ession ▁against