Mellah spice market

The Mellah spice market features stalls piled high with conical mounds of cumin, saffron, and ras el hanout, framed by low stone archways. Once the heart of the Jewish quarter, this area served as a center for trade and alchemy for centuries. When pharmacist Joseph Cohen arrived in the mid-twentieth century, he famously kept a ledger recording the specific medicinal needs of every family in the quarter, ensuring that each spice mixture was balanced precisely to treat local ailments before they became illnesses.