Travel Fez Morocco Medinas, madrasahs, tanners Moroccan National Tourist Office
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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.
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.
You can make the climb at sunset, pausing to pick out the city’s landmarks, like the lofty minaret of the Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin and the royal palace, fringed by the Mellah (Jewish quarter). A stirring panorama of Old Fez awaits you at the ruins of a royal necropolis from the Marinid Dynasty (13th to 15th centuries). Now meticulously tended, the park has a large pond and water gardens where geometric fountains are festooned with zellige tiles, all bordered by geometric beds of roses, cactuses and low boxwood hedges.
The natural music of water
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.
Tour Fez’s traditional and contemporary architecture
The madrassa is open from 8 AM – 6 PM (always check for religious holidays and events, as this can alter times). The Kairaouine Mosque is known to be the world’s oldest university and is the second-largest mosque in Morocco. The park is open Tuesday – Sunday between 8 AM – fez bet 7.30 PM.
- Although its educational activities have disappeared, the Médersa Attarine remains a living testimony to the artistic and intellectual heyday of medieval Fez.
- The medina of Fes (Fes el Bali) is the oldest and largest in North Africa and dates back to the 9th century!
- The past is alive here, so take one or two days to enjoy all the best things to do in Fes!
- Following another successful invasion by Buluggin ibn Ziri in 979 and a brief period of Fatimid control, the forces of Al-Mansur of Cordoba managed to retake the region again, expelling the Fatimids permanently.
- The city, along with much of northern Morocco, continued to change hands between the proxies of Córdoba and the proxies of the Fatimids for many decades.
- We were on a grand tour of Morocco and always looked for a secure parking spot.
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It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. They’re a great place to stay to find some calm at the end of your busy days in Fes. Marvel at the majestic Royal Palace during this historical tour of Fes.
The Royal Palace (Dar Al-Makhzen)
Several language institutes in Fez also organize cultural activities in addition to offering courses. The Al Houria Cultural Complex, opened in 2005, is a cultural center in the Ville Nouvelle that includes a theatre, a media library, and exhibition spaces. Zellij workshops in other cities, such as Meknes, Salé and Marrakesh, usually follow or emulate the craftsmanship style of Fez. The city is also one of the historical centers of Moroccan Sufism and a significant body of written works were devoted to its many Sufi walis (“saints” or teachers). They were generally built next to a well or natural spring which provided water, while the sloping topography of the city allowed for easy drainage.
In 1915 it was turned into a museum of historical art and artifacts, containing around 6,000 pieces. Many old private residences have also survived to this day, in various states of conservation. The tanneries are packed with the round stone wells filled with dye or white liquids for softening the hides. Since the city’s foundation, the tanning industry has been continually operating in Fez and is considered one of the main tourist attractions. Several forts were constructed along the defensive perimeters of the medina during different time periods.
So if you want to make sure you leave no stone unturned in the largest walled city in the world you could call on the services of a professional guide. We’ve mentioned that the labyrinthine Fez of Medina has 9,000 alleys and 40,000 dead ends, as well as a history that is just as tangled. There’s a sumptuous collection of local cobalt blue ceramics, a signature of the city for more than a millennium, and astrolabes, a technology adapted by Arab scholars in the 10th century to set prayer times. The gate on the north facade is from the beginning of the 13th century and has two arches, one adorned with moulded plasterwork and the other cedar, and both rich with zellige decoration. The square minaret dates from the 10th century, and was designed to resemble the minaret at the Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin.
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.
- A stirring panorama of Old Fez awaits you at the ruins of a royal necropolis from the Marinid Dynasty (13th to 15th centuries).
- Fez sits in north-central Morocco, east of Rabat and a good stretch north.
- Take a day trip to the Middle Atlas and explore the monkey forest!
- The peaceful atmosphere of this spiritual place makes it an excellent starting point for sampling local produce such as olive oil and Saïs wines.
- Famille Berrada and Salah Canteen, in the Achabine Souks, are local lunchtime favorites and still draw the crowds who want to sit down in comfort, but you’ll have the most fun hopping from stall to stall sampling different foods.
Inside the park is a “Bird Garden” which hosts more than thirty species of birds, local and imported, such as peacocks, parrots, and the North African ostrich. The city’s main museums are housed in historic monuments mentioned above, including the Nejjarine Museum, the Dar Batha Museum, and the Arms Museum in Borj Nord. Fez, along with Cordoba, was one of the centers of a Jewish intellectual and cultural renaissance that took place in the 10th and 11th centuries in Morocco and al-Andalus. Fez has preserved many of its historic hammams (public bathhouses in the Muslim world) which continue to be used by local people.
On the north side, next to the library entrance is Cremerie la Place, for a robust cup of coffee or mint tea. This square is walled on one side by the grand, horseshoe-arched entrance to the al-Qarawiyyin Library, and centres on a gnarled plane tree. Since 1963 Borj Nord has housed the Museum of Arms, with a collection running to more than 5,000 pieces from Morocco, Africa, Europe and Asia, and dating from prehistory to the 1900s.
According to some traditions, the city’s name comes from the Arabic word فأس Faʾs, meaning pickaxe. It also contains the Chouara Tannery from the 11th century, one of the oldest tanneries in the world. It contains the University of al-Qarawiyyin which was founded in 857 and is the oldest continuously functioning institute of higher education in the world. The Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones (car-free areas). The city consists of two old medina quarters, Fes el-Bali and Fes Jdid, and the much larger modern urban Ville Nouvelle area founded during the French colonial era. After the overthrow of the Marinid dynasty, the growth of Fez stalled and the city subsequently competed with Marrakesh for political and cultural influence.
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.
Discover Al Quaraouiyine University and its mosque, a world heritage site and center of knowledge Get instant shipping options for packages and pallets, locally and globally. Every day, we commit to providing our customers with peace of mind, and this commitment extends to our pricing strategy. We connect Nigeria to over 200+ cities worldwide, offering competitive rates and ensuring each item is delivered with the utmost care. Enjoy reliable and efficient shipping solutions for local and global delivery needs. We absolutely loved our stay in Fez, but it’s not a destination we would dare go back to.
If you find yourself here while poking around the city you’ll be confronted by a row of three heavy wooden doors in horseshoe arches and flanked by high square towers topped with pointed merlons. In the middle of the Medina you’ll happen upon a tight passageway beckoning you onto a square in the shade of large old plane trees and the high minaret of the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II. This functioning royal palace in the Fes Jdid quarter is on more than 80 hectares and has been here since the 13th century.
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.
