Researchers from Israel, Morocco and France have discovered remnants of a small Jewish community in the mountains of Morocco, Haaretz has reported. The ruins of the community’s synagogue in the small village of Tamanart, located on the outskirts of the Sahara desert, were found while conducting a preliminary survey of Jewish sites in the area. The researchers say Jews lived there from the 16th century until the early 19th century. They recovered scriptures, documents, and Kabbalist amulets from the synagogue’s genizah.

The discovery came weeks after King Mohammed VI of Morocco ordered the restoration of Jewish sites across the kingdom, and a year after Israel land Morocco agreed to formal diplomatic relations.

It is believed that Jews first established communities in Morocco more than 2,000 years ago. In the mid-20th century, the Jewish population reached a peak of 250,000. It is estimated that only 2,000 Jews remain today.