World Monuments Fund Presents

Venturing into the Mellah’s Past

Yousef El Miadi and Laura Brandt met while pursuing their master’s in World Heritage Studies at Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. A joint project led Yousef and Laura to nominate the Jewish Quarter of Essaouira, Morocco, to the 2018 World Monuments Watch. Now, they are partnering with World Monuments Fund on an oral history and documentation project of the once-bustling Mellah. In the slideshow that follows, Yousef and Laura reflect on their first research mission to the historic district.