Sultánovi obchodníci: příběh židovské komunity v Maroku

This article, dedicated to Moroccan Jewry, tracks down the history of the community back to antiquity. It serves as a brief historical overview of a declining indigenous population, while it also points out specific socio-cultural conditions under which the Jewish community in Morrocco has lived. Jewish presence in Morocco is factually documented from the 2nd century CE. After the arrival of Islam, the Jews lived under rules that emerged from their status as non-Muslim residents (dhimmi). In the Middle Ages, the status of Moroccan Jewry in the Middle Ages oscillated between acceptance and isolation. In 1438, a separate Jewish quarter (mellah) in Fes was introduced, which had a vital impact on the composition of the Moroccan cities ever after. Despite the actual open state policy towards Moroccan Jewry by the current king Muhamad VI, the Jewish community in Morocco nowadays numbers not more than 2400 members.