Dris I, a grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, built the beautiful medieval city of Fez on
the banks of the Jawhar River in the 8th century.
Soon after, in the 9th century, the University of al-Qarawiyyin, which is the oldest college in the
world, was built.
Fez’s Medina, which is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is a trip for all the senses.
The brightly colored tannery pits, the clang of coppersmiths at work, and the many smells will
guide you better than any plan.
In Fez, the streets are as confusing as the writing, tilework, and stucco that have been on the
city’s buildings, churches, madrasas, and shrines for hundreds of years…
Here some of things we can do in fez :
1)The medina :
An incomprehensible labyrinth of more than 9,000 alleyways, the majority of which do not have
names, makes up what is thought to be the biggest pedestrian zone in the world.
Many people consider this to be the greatest fortified city in all of the Arab world. Its winding
streets are so dark and congested with buildings that you can’t even see them from the lookouts
that are perched on the ridges above the valley.
You won’t be able to make any sense of this location using a chart, and getting disoriented is
practically guaranteed, but that just adds to the adventure.
People typically mean both Old Fez (Fes el-Bali) and the later Fes el-Jdid when they refer to the
Medina. Fes el-Jdid was established in the 13th century during the Marinid Dynasty.
During this time period, Fez achieved the pinnacle of its cultural development. During this time,
the city became a metropolis and gave birth to madrasas, temples, and some of the city
defenses that are still standing today.
The Fez Medina Guided Tour comes highly recommended.
2. Bou Inania Madrasa :
The Bou Inania Madrasa was established in the middle of the 14th century by the Marinid
monarch Abu Inan Faris. This madrasa is a visual treat, as every inch of the courtyard is filled
with beautiful craftsmanship.
Additionally, this is the only religious school in all of Fez that has its very own structure, which is
also a piece of art and is regarded as the most impressive in the entire city.
More than seven hundred and fifty years have passed, but the cleansing fountain in the
courtyard is still in use. When one stands in this spot, it is difficult not to be awestruck by the
geometric tilework that is crowned with bands of Arabic handwriting, the feather-light
stuccowork, and the carved cedar screens.
3 bab boujloud :
This memorial is much younger than Fez’s religious schools and temples.
Mauresque-style Bab Bou Jeloud was built in 1913 during the French Protectorate.
The gate’s fassi tilework, bright blue on the outside and green on the inside, is beloved.
From dawn to dark, walkers, oxen, horses, and mopeds fill the artery behind it.
Fez’s best restaurants are inside the doorway, offering a glimpse into Medieval life.
4. Al-Attarine Madrasa :
This 14th-century madrasa is a gem of the Marinid Dynasty. It is near the spice and perfume
market at Souk al-Attarine. The Sultan Abu Sa’id Uthman II paid for it.
The Al-Attarine Madrasa, like other Marinid religious schools in Fez, has a complex design on its
square patio.
There, you can look at the wood carvings and stuccowork and be amazed at how well they were
done.
The most amazing part, though, is the tile-cutting design. It was made using a method called
“taqshir,” in which the finish on the tiles was carefully scraped off to make a shiny pattern.
The word “Allah” is written in green handwriting on a white background on a tile border above
the zellige designs on the wall of the prayer room in the courtyard.
5 jardan jnan sbil :
Sultan Moulay Abdallah developed the city’s oldest park between Fes el-Jdid and Fes el-Bali in
the 18th century.
Jardin Jnan Sbil, a rare open area in the Medina, was restored in the 2000s.
The carefully maintained park has a large pond and water gardens with geometric features
decorated with zellige tiles, rose beds, cactuses, and low boxwood bushes.
Palms, oranges, pines, and skyscraping cypresses provide cover.
6 mirnit tombs :
A Marinid Dynasty regal necropolis offers a breathtaking view of Old Fez. (13th to 15th
centuries). In 1250, the Marinids overthrew the Almohad Dynasty and built Fes el-Jdid, a
protected royal city, next to Fes el-Bali.
Two horseshoe-arched mausoleums with marble adornment remain from this time.
The pieces of decoration suggest high rank, but their owners are unclear.
You can rise at dusk, stopping to see the city’s icons like the Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin’s tower
and the regal house, flanked by the Mellah. (Jewish quarter). Wait for the call to prayer to hear
muezzins from across the city at once.
7 borj sud :
The sister fort of Borj Nord is on a mountain across the river. From there, you can see a great
view of Fez from the south.
Borj Sud was built at the same time as its sister, but unlike it, it has kept its simple square shape
and does not have corner bastions.
From Bab Jdid, you can get there quickly by crossing the river and going down Boulevard Allal
El Fassi. (N6). The path up the hill goes through an olive grove. From the base of the fort’s
walls, you can see the whole Medina of Fez in the valley, with Jebel Zalagh rising up behind it.
8 Zaouia Moulay Idriss II :
Morocco’s highest temple, Place de Marche Verte, houses Idris II’s tomb. (791-828). Idris II founded
Morocco’s first Islamic state and the 200-year Idrisid Dynasty.
The cemetery, located below Old Fez’s highest tower, was built between 1717 and 1824 and is mostly for
Fez locals, but practicing Muslims can also enter.
The two-metre timber bars kept Christians and Jews out and horses away.
The courtyard’s 18th-century white marble pond is open to non-Muslims, but the south tomb is off limits.
.Non-Muslims can see the tomb to the right through the silk brocade entry of the cemetery.
Over the ages, visitors have kissed and stroked the cedar wood doors.
9 borj north :
Borj Nord
This 16th-century Saaid dynasty fortress, which looks out over the city from the north and can
be seen for miles, is one of the most impressive parts of the Medina’s walls.
The Borj Nord is modeled after the Portuguese gun forts of the time. It was built to protect Fes
el-Bali and to keep the city’s people from getting out of hand.
The strong corner bastions were added during the time of Alaouite.
The Museum of Arms has been in Borj Nord since 1963. It has a collection of more than 5,000
pieces from Morocco, Africa, Europe, and Asia that date from the Stone Age to the early 1900s.
See the 12-ton Saadian gun that was used in the Battle of Three Kings before you leave. (1578)
10 Chouara Leather Shop :
The biggest of the city’s three tanneries is not far northeast of the Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin. It
has been doing almost the same work for more than 800 years.
Here, sheepskin, goatskin, cow and camel hides are cleaned and treated in a smelly mixture of
cow pee, pigeon droppings, salt, quicklime, and water.
When they are soft enough, they are put in big, colorful holes in the ground to be dyed.
In the past, these would be colored with turmeric (yellow), indigo (blue), mint (green), henna
(orange), and crushed poppies (red), but today most people use chemical colors.
This part of the process is fascinating, and from the platforms above, the vats look like a big
painter’s palette.
11 dar al makhzen :
This royal house has been here since the 13th century and is in the Fes Jdid neighborhood. It is
on more than 80 hectares.
Inside, there is a mosque from the 14th century, a madrasa, a beautiful courtyard, and large
grounds.
Now, the palace is closed to the public, but you can go to Place des Alaouites to look at its
entranceway, which was redone in the 1970s and is a work of art.
It has beautiful carved wood and zellige tiles, but what people really love about it are the
delicately designed brass doors that sparkle in the low evening sun.
