Visiting Fez El Bali (Old Fez) from the Ville Nouvelle is like stepping back in time. The essential footprint of the medina has not changed for nearly a millennium, as the hills surrounding the city have limited its expansion. The last major expansion of the traditional medina was in the 13th century, with the construction of Fez El Jedid. Today, around 90,000 Fassis still live in this labyrinth of narrow alleys, blind turns and hidden souks, while tourists consider it one of the most fascinating places they visit in Morocco.
Bab Bou Jeloud, to the west, is the main entrance to the old city, with two main streets leading into the heart of the medina. To your left as you enter, you will find Tala'a al-Kbira (large slope), and Tala'a al-ssghira (small slope) to your right. The two meet near An Nejjarine Square (carpenters' square), to continue on to the Karaouiyne Mosque and the Zawiya of Moulay Idriss II - the heart of the city. From here, you must climb to reach the northern gates of Bab Guissa and Bab Jamaï, or head south to Bab R'cif. The R'cif area has undergone a major improvement with a new elegant gate and a redeveloped square, and the river has been revalued.
The main sights are only a small part of the medina's charm. It's worth doing a bit of random exploring and simply following your nose or ears to discover the more unexpected charms of Fez's nature. Follow your nose and you'll encounter women carrying bundles of freshly cut grass, children carrying trays of bread to bake in the local hammam oven, or a café selling glasses of mint tea. Around the next corner, you might spot a beautifully tiled fountain, a workshop hammering copper pots, a camel's head announcing a specialist butcher, or a gang of boys turning their alleyway into a football pitch. Everywhere, listen for the call to prayer or the muleteer's cry ""balak!" (""watch out!"") to let a laden donkey pass.
Traffic can be tricky and you’re bound to get lost at some point, but consider it part of the adventure. A handy tip is to note the “main” streets that lead to a gate or landmark – just follow the general flow of people. Ask shopkeepers for directions, or enlist the help of enthusiastic children who are happy to help out disoriented strangers.
The Chouara tannery
The largest of the medina’s many tanneries, Chouara is one of Fez’s most iconic sites. In operation since at least the 16th century, the place was extensively renovated in 2016, but the scene from the surrounding balconies remains remarkably medieval. It’s striking to see the hard physical labor that goes into making the silky-soft leather goods that are sold in the surrounding workshops and around the world. Try to visit in the morning, when the pits are awash with colorful dye.
The only way to see the tanneries in action is to wander into one of the leather shops, each of which has a terrace offering a different vantage point. The easiest to find is No. 10 on Derb Chouara; inside, the shop itself is an almost comical maze, and the better of the two terraces is to the north, via the babouche (leather slippers) room. If you're feeling more adventurous, head to No. 64, which has a good view of the north side of the tanneries; continue north on Derb Chouara, then turn right, downhill. The second right leads to the shop.
The vendors will be happy to explain the processes involved and expect a small tip in return or, better yet, a sale. While this may seem a bit commercial, you probably won't find a better selection of leather in Morocco, and prices are highly negotiable. Leather shops are connected to the tannery workers and many vendors have family ties to those who work in the tannery.
As you head east or northeast from Place As Seffarine, you will soon smell the distinctive scent of hide and dye, and the middlemen of the vendors will begin to direct you to their favorite shops. Avoid them if you can; if you arrive at a shop with one of them, your bargaining power is limited, as you will have to pay the middleman's commission.
Medersa Bou Inania
The most architecturally refined of the Fez madrasahs. Built by the Marinid Sultan Abu 'Inan Faris between 1350-1355. Beyond the massive copper entrance doors, its inner courtyard is a masterpiece of elaborate zellige tiling, carved plaster, and magnificent cedar grilles. Smaller courtyards on either side served as classrooms, and students resided upstairs.
Unlike many such madrasas, the Bou Inania has a full mosque next to it. (For this reason, it is closed to visitors during prayer times.) The mihrab, visible across the prayer hall, has marble columns, a style that references the Great Mosque of Córdoba. The mosque's magnificent green-tiled minaret is the one seen as you enter the medina from Bab Bou Jeloud.
Medersa El Attarine
Founded in 1325 in the heart of the medina, this school is a marvel of elegant mosaic tiles, beautiful lace-like plasterwork and handsome carved cedar. A 2019 renovation also opened up the upstairs bedrooms, so you can get a glimpse of student life – surprisingly austere, although each room has its own mailbox. The school operated as a kind of preparatory school; it’s usually a required passage for students going on to Kairaouine University.
Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts
In a wonderfully restored early 18th-century Fondouk (purchasing centre and hotel used by caravans), the former merchants’ rooms are given over to displays of fine woodwork from across Morocco, including doors, prayer beads and musical instruments. Many pieces illustrate the difference between traditional Amazigh styles and the more Andalusian designs of Fez. A highlight are the worn wooden boards used by students of Quranic recitation, patched with copper and adorned with their graduation certificates. The rooftop café is simple but offers wonderful views over the medina
Photographing the exhibits is prohibited, but it is permitted in the courtyard and from the roof.
The historic water clock
The only traces of this ingenious medieval device, installed in 1357, are 13 wooden beams that protrude from the wall above street level. Each of them contained a copper bowl into which a metal ball was dropped from the window above to sound the hour. The clockwork was inside the building, powered and regulated by a water cistern that emptied at a regular rate. The clock was built at the same time as the Bou Inania Medersa across the street to keep track of the correct prayer times.
A designated timekeeper, a mouaqqit, would set the clock. Similar clocks existed throughout the medieval Arab world, including one in Fez, at the Kairaouine Mosque, which had a similar structure in the Dar Mouaqqit tower adjacent to the mosque's main entrance. The brass bowls were removed for preservation and use in the clock's restoration.
Souk el Henna
One of the oldest markets in the medina and also one of the most pleasant, this souk is dominated by a graceful plane tree amid stalls selling pottery and traditional cosmetics, including henna. It’s a good place to come if you want to be told about the fascinating array of natural products that Moroccans commonly use – the vendors are friendly and don’t hassle you. The now-defunct mohtassib (price controller) had his office here, and you can still see his large scales.
At the far end of the square is the restored Maristane de Sidi Frej, a former psychiatric hospital built by the Marinids in the 13th century. The 15th-century Andalusian scholar and diplomat Leo Africanus, who wrote A Description of Africa in 1526, worked here in his youth. Today it is a small kissaria (covered market).
Zaouia of Moulay Idriss II
Although it is housed in a mosque closed to non-Muslims, the tomb of the founder of Fez (died 828) is considered the spiritual heart of the city and is the most visited place. It is also an important landmark and worth discovering, if only to see the huge wooden entrance doors and the profusion of columns and carpets visible from the street. The current structure dates from 1308; a 17th-century extension added its pyramidal green roof and the tallest minaret in the medina.
You can tell you're getting close when the aisles are crossed by head-high wooden beams - a way, it is said, to block beasts and force everyone to approach on foot. Inside, the sultan's tomb is wrapped in an elaborate embroidered cloth that is replaced each year during the moussem.
Al Batha Museum
This 19th-century palace has been a museum since 1915. The collection focuses on traditional Moroccan arts and crafts salvaged from the ruined properties of the medina, including fine examples of wood carving, zellige tiles and tadelakt (waterproof limestone plaster). But the real highlight is the Fez pottery, which is nearly seven centuries old and features the city’s signature cobalt-blue patterns, using a technique developed in the 10th century.
The museum also houses beautiful Fassi embroidery, colorful Berber carpets and ancient instruments. The Andalusian-style garden offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of the medina.
Glaoui Palace
This is a slightly odd opportunity to visit someone’s home and personal art gallery, which also happens to be a deeply dilapidated 18th-century palace built by a pasha of Marrakech. The main courtyard, with its double salons, is the height of Andalusian style and includes a well-preserved early 20th-century bathroom, still in use today. Pass through the enormous kitchen with its gigantic saucepans to reach the small harem courtyard at the back. The obsessive pointillist paintings of the concierge Abdelkhader fill a large salon, but without renovation and maintenance the palace is in peril in its final years.
