Although its educational activities have disappeared, the Médersa Attarine remains a living testimony to the artistic and intellectual heyday of medieval Fez. Inside, you’ll discover the small rooms where students from all over the kingdom were housed for religious instruction. As you pass through the gate, you’ll understand why it has become the icon of the imperial city, photographed by thousands of visitors every day. Along the narrow streets, you’ll discover such wonders as the 13-window hydraulic clock facing the Médersa Bouanania, the interconnecting terraces and the historic fondouks. We were impressed by this labyrinth of 14,000 listed buildings, where 137 mosques rub shoulders with 23 public hammams. Fès el-Bali, Morocco’s largest medina, took us back in time.
Although the Idrisid realm was eventually reunified and enjoyed a period of peace under Ali ibn Muhammad and Yahya ibn Muhammad, it fell into decline again in the late 9th century. Andalusi families of mixed Arab and Iberian descent, who were expelled from Córdoba after a rebellion in 817–818 against al-Hakam I, were one major component of the immigrant population. The city was first founded in 789 as Madinat Fas on the southeast bank of the Jawhar River (now known as the Fez River) by Idris I, founder of the Idrisid dynasty. The two cities were united in 1070 and the name Fās was used for the combined site. During this period the capital city was known as al-ʿĀliyá, with the name Fās being reserved for the separate site on the other side of the river.
- Inside, you’ll discover the small rooms where students from all over the kingdom were housed for religious instruction.
- Andalusi families of mixed Arab and Iberian descent, who were expelled from Córdoba after a rebellion in 817–818 against al-Hakam I, were one major component of the immigrant population.
- This is also the only religious school in Fez to have its own minaret, also a work of art and hailed as the finest in the city.
- Note the cedar wood doors, which have been smoothed by pilgrims kissing and stroking their surface over the centuries.
- More than just a park, Jnan Sbil is a green haven where history and nature meet in the heart of the city.
- Religious tourism is also present due to the old city’s many major zawiyas (Islamic shrines), such as the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Zawiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani, which attract both Moroccan and international (especially West African) pilgrims.
We were on a grand tour of Morocco and always looked fez bet for a secure parking spot. We felt safe walking the spines and main cross-passages by day and early evening. Both give that “Fez is endless” panorama; only one with coffee vans and parking helpers waving vigorously for coins.
The entrance of the former Royal Palace of Fez
Avoid locals trying to direct you to shady parking spots. By midday, tour groups gather near the tanneries and large madrasas; by late afternoon, the souk’s energy swells. This 13th-century city is an imperial city of long-lasting multicultural history, that reserves unexpected surprises for its visitors.
When people talk about the Medina, they normally mean both Old Fez (Fes el-Bali) and the newer Fes el-Jdid, founded in the 13th century during the Marinid Dynasty. What is believed to be the largest pedestrian zone in the world is an indecipherable maze of more than 9,000 mostly nameless alleys. The bewitching Medieval city of Fez was founded on the banks of the Jawhar River in the 8th century by Idris I, a descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
The Royal Palace (Dar Al-Makhzen)
Relax, cool down, and watch the Fes locals enjoying the park too. Because of its historical significance, and cultural importance, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. More than half of the complex is taken up by an Andalusian-style garden, still used for cultural and religious events in summer. The work was sponsored by Maryam bint Mohammed bin Abdullah, the sister of Fatima al-Fihri, famed for establishing the University of al-Qarawiyyin – and the two mosques have historically been rivals.
Experience the peace of a riad courtyard
Yes, if “good” means local, cheap, and satisfying. As we visited in the summer, the heat was unbearable on some days. Shoulders and knees covered made entering places easier, and interactions with locals more pleasant. Online reviews were somewhat vague, but we found a great, guarded lot near Al Oud café for 40 MAD per 24 hours—slept fine, car parked fine.
Today it is part of the Archdiocese of Rabat, and it was most recently restored in 2005. The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the only Catholic church in Fez, was established in 1919 or 1920, during the French colonial period. Elsewhere, the Jewish quarter (Mellah) is the site of the 17th-century Al-Fassiyin Synagogue and Ibn Danan Synagogue, as well multiple other lesser-known synagogues, though none of them are functioning today. The very oldest mosques of the city, dating back to its first years, were the Mosque of the Sharifs (or Shurafa Mosque) and the Mosque of the Sheikhs (or al-Anouar Mosque); however, they no longer exist in their original form.
Take in the Smells of the Tanneries
- Along the way, he shares stories of the landscape, pausing for views and small touches that make the day memorable, such as tea brewed on the spot and a hammock slung between trees.
- Austerity measures led to several riots and uprisings across other cities during the 1980s.
- But it’s the sounds, as much as the sights, that make Place Seffarine special, as the rest of square is given over to copperware, a craft that goes back many centuries in Fez.
- Northwest of the Middle Atlas mountains, Fez has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) with a strong continental influence, shifting from relatively cool and wet in the winter to dry and hot days in the summer months between June and September.
- Fez grew up around the oldest continually operating institution of higher education in the world, founded in 859.
This fortress, which is currently being restored, bears witness to the military architecture of the period and the desire to protect the imperial city. You can follow a signposted tour that reveals the past opulence of this palatial residence and testifies to the influence of the Glaoui family in the history of Maroc. Because of its large size, this palace was built outside the old medina to mark the royal power in the city’s urban planning. You can admire this spectacular façade, which stands opposite the entrance to the Jnan Sbil park.
The park was opened in June 2014 and is credited with significantly improving the recreational infrastructure of Fez. The park is dedicated to the relations of Fez and Latin America; its inauguration ceremony was attended by a delegation of ambassadors from Venezuela, Paraguay, and Panama. Latin American Park is a park opened in the summer of 2015 that sits in the middle of Fez.
The Borj Nord is designed after the Portuguese gun forts of the period, and had the dual purpose of defending Fes el-Bali, but also keeping the unruly population of the city under control. One of the most striking defensive features on the Medina’s walls is this 16th-century Saaid dynasty fortress towering over the city from the north and visible for miles. Note the cedar wood doors, which have been smoothed by pilgrims kissing and stroking their surface over the centuries. The shrine, sitting below the tallest minaret in Old Fez, was built between 1717 and 1824, and is mainly for Fez residents, although visiting practising Muslims can also enter the mausoleum.
Fez sits in north-central Morocco, east of Rabat and a good stretch north. Yes—It’ll be a tiring day, but you’ll make it. We spent four days between two riads on the edge of the medina and loved the maze, the food, the tiles, and the moments that tested our patience in the best travel way. Yes—Fez is absolutely worth visiting if you want to experience the raw, historic Morocco with its soul, chaos, and craft all in one place. We got lost in the labyrinth (Google Maps gave up), ate pastilla with locals, and found the Marinid Tombs for the best city view. Smelly leather tanneries, quiet madrasas, and enough alleys to humble any seasoned map reader.
Colonial period
Adjacent to the gardens is the grand mosque Fes el-Jdid, with the most beautifully embellished minaret! Take a glimpse at the dazzling exterior of the royal palace. Sit here at the end of a day of sightseeing and enjoy the sun setting behind this wonderful city. Grab a cheap, fresh juice every morning for the perfect start to a day of exploring. It is one of the most important religious buildings in Fes, and as such, only Muslims are allowed inside.
Between Fes el-Jdid and Fes el-Bali is the oldest park in the city, landscaped in the 18th century on the orders of Sultan Moulay Abdallah. In the same vein as other Marinid religious schools in Fez, the Al-Attarine Madrasa has sophisticated decoration on its rectangular courtyard. Some of the best places to dine in Fez are just inside the gateway, affording a front row view of the day-to-day in a Medieval city. What may take you by surprise is how young this monument is compared to the religious schools and shrines in Fez. This is also the only religious school in Fez to have its own minaret, also a work of art and hailed as the finest in the city.
Rachid still grills smoky kefta to pack into khobz (bread) fresh from the oven, and on the small square by Mosquée El Qaffazine, locals tuck into some of the city’s best lobia (white beans stewed with turmeric) and addis (lentils stewed with tomatoes, paprika and cumin). The day begins with a market tour in Rcif, sampling local specialties before returning to a tranquil private house to cook. Set in a 19th-century Andalusian-style palace, the Dar Batha Museum has reopened after major renovation, offering a thoughtful journey through Fez’s history from its medieval foundations to modern times. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University is a public university founded in 1975 and is the largest in the city by attendance, counting over 86,000 students in 2020.
The city’s water supply, sewage, and electricity networks are managed by the Régie de distribution d’eau et d’électricité de Fès (lit. transl. Water and Electricity Distribution Authority of Fez). The main intercity bus terminal (or gare routière) is located just north of Bab Mahrouk, on the outskirts of the old medina, although CTM also operates a terminal off Boulevard Mohammed V in the Ville Nouvelle. The city’s main train station, operated by ONCF, is located a short distance from the downtown area of the Ville Nouvelle and is connected to the rail lines running east to Oujda and west to Tangier and Casablanca.