A large part of Morocco's history is still engraved on the walls of an ancient city like Fez.
Fez was the capital of the Idrisid dynasty after it was founded by them in 789 AD, to become the city of knowledge, with the first university known to mankind. And the city knew its golden age in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries under the rule of the Marinids, when it became the capital of the kingdom instead of Marrakesh.
Although the location of the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fez maintained its position as the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco. With all its historical weight, UNESCO classified it in 1981 AD on the World Heritage List.
Fez, which celebrated its 12th birthday in 2008, is a city that kings took as their capital, scholars inhabited it, and thinkers visited it. It is a city that is of Moroccan national heritage, with its history, identity, architecture, and the coexistence that it knew within its walls between Muslims and Jews.
The construction of the city of Fez began in the year 789 AD by order of Idris I, who fled from the Abbasids, and settled in Morocco, where its inhabitants gathered around him when they learned that he was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Its construction was completed by his son, Idris II, and significant increases were made by the successive sultans of Morocco who ruled the ancient city.
It was one of the first Islamic cities to be established in North Africa, and its name has brightened since then, attracting human delegations from all over the world. Where the people of Kairouan came to it from Tunisia and settled in the eastern part of it, so it was called "Adwat al-Qarawiyyin " (district of the Kairouans), and the people of Andalusia came to it and settled in the western part, so it was called "Adwat Al-Andalus".
This great polarization of the population is what made the city's houses close to each other, and made its alleys narrow, because the city was first surrounded by walls, which forced the residents to build inside it, taking advantage of all the city's space to build their homes and palaces, which today have become a cultural heritage and tourist attractions.
Fez was the capital of Morocco since the establishment of its first Islamic state (the Idrisid state), and it remained so until the beginning of the twentieth century. As for the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University, it was and still is the first landmark of Fez, its most prominent address in the whole world, and the beating scientific heart of Morocco, as the historian Dr. Abd al-Hadi al-Tazi said about it: “What is Morocco if not the Qarawiyyin?” A mosque that entered the city into the Guinness Book of Records as the first university in the world where teaching continues since its founding in the year 857 AD by the Tunisian Fatima al-Fihriyya to this day.
How to get to the city of Fez via flights?
There are many flights connecting Fez with various airports in the world.
According to the Moroccan National Airports Office, tourists can travel to the capital of knowledge by booking Moroccan and foreign airlines through direct flights. Tourists can reach Fez from 9 countries in Europe, including France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, and Britain.
Fez not only welcomes foreigners but also receives the people of the country at the top of every hour coming from all Moroccan cities via trains that take the Casablanca station as a starting point. In addition to the buses that go to Fez from the north and south of Morocco. As for tourists who prefer to shorten the time and reach Fez via flights, the airports of Casablanca, Ouarzazate, Nador, Tangiers, Marrakesh, and Agadir are stations for direct flights to Fez.
Means of transportation to visit all the landmarks of Fez
Tourists can rely on small taxis, the price of which starts from 5 dirhams and rises according to the distance. But if you want to go to remote places within Fez, for a fixed price, large taxi stations are the best option. And the price starts at only 5 dirhams for different destinations. The urban transport bus "City Bus Fez", whose price does not exceed 4 dirhams, can take you to different places in the city, including the city's historical monuments.
There are also alternative ways to get around the city, and it is related to transportation applications dedicated to small taxis and private cars, through which you can communicate with the driver who will reach your destination and take you to the destination you want.
Places worth visiting
A tourist cannot come to the city of Fez without visiting the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque. Upon entering each wing of this mosque, you can see the place of ablution, which was built of alabaster, as it was artistically designed along the lines of the Lions Court in the Alhambra Palace in Granada. In addition to the large chandelier that mediates and decorates the mosque, you can also see the judge’s cabin, the widely decorated mihrab, and the bookcase and Qurans.
Dar Batha Museum
This museum was built by the order of Sultan Moulay Abdel Aziz in 1897, and it was converted in 1915 into a regional museum of arts and customs. The museum was originally a palace intended for a summer residence and to receive guests, and it is of Moroccan-Spanish design.
The Dar Al Batha Museum includes a large collection of exhibits that include artifacts and handicrafts, and it is a place frequented by many ancient art lovers who come from all over the world to learn about the Moroccan heritage in the city of Fez.
Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts
The Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts has a large collection of ancient wooden works and carvings, which are displayed in a historical building that is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city of Fez, Morocco, in a historical template that shows the originality of carpentry and wooden arts.
Bou Inania 'Madrasa' (School)
The Bou Inania Madrasa, which was founded by Sultan Abu Inan Al-Faris, was built between 1350 and 1355 AD. The school rises to the northeast of the Kasbah of Boujloud, and overlooks the city of Fez. The building constitutes a school and a mosque at the same time, and it was established to teach science and perform Friday prayers, and compete with the Attarin School.
The walls and gates of the historic city of Fez
The city of Fez is characterized by its historical walls, which bear witness to many historical periods of the Kingdom of Morocco. The walls of Fez are among the most prominent historical monuments that date back to the period in which Al-Nasir Almohad ruled between 1199 and 1213 AD. However, the doors that penetrate it bear names dating back to the period of Idrisid and Zenati rule, such as Bab al-Futuh and Bab al-Kisa.
Boujloud gate is one of the most famous historical monuments in the city of Fez
The walls and gates of the old city of Fez bear witness to the greatness and nobility of the city, speaking of its contribution to the fortification of Fez in the face of all the invaders who tried to storm it and control it, as the defensive structure of the walls, gates, and towers prevented many times from attempts to break into it.
Among the most famous of these gates is Boujloud or Bab Boujloud, in addition to the Northern Tower, which is also called the North Tower, which is an old fort built by the Saadians in 1582 in the north of the city of Fez, as its design is inspired by the shape of the Portuguese castles that existed in the sixteenth century.
Jiaf Gate
Among the historical places in the ancient city of Fez, there is the "Bab Jiaf", which carries many stories and tales.
This place has become a market for traditional clothes of all kinds, such as clothes made of leather. It is a place frequently visited by city dwellers and tourists.
Mellah neighborhood of the Jews of Fez
It is one of the historical neighborhoods of the city of Fez in Morocco. The neighborhood was designated for Jewish notables in the thirteenth century AD. The construction of the first Jewish neighborhood (Mellahà) in Morocco dates back to the beginning of the 13th century AD, with the arrival of the Marinids to power, and the construction of their capital in New Fez near Old Fez. On the western side of Mellah is the Jewish cemetery that still exists and is in use today. The Jewish cemetery is located at the edge of the neighborhood, and is considered one of the most important features of the area, in addition to the Jewish Museum, which includes a collection of pieces that reflect the culture and lifestyle of the Jews of Fez.
Dar Debbagh (Tanning house)
It was built in the eleventh century and is the largest tanning house in the city. It is located in the Fez al-Bali neighborhood, which is the oldest neighborhood in the ancient city. The tannery in Fez is one of the most important tourist destinations. They consist of circular stone basins filled with dyes or liquids to soften the clay.
Dar Debbagh extends over an area of about 7,200 square meters, including 4,000 square meters covered, and includes 193 workshops in which more than 600 traditional craftsmen work, and produce between 3,000 and 5,000 ready-made leather daily.
Among the dozens of tanning houses, only a few were able to maintain their continuity, so today, in addition to being the main place for tanning leather in a traditional way, it is one of the most important tourist attractions that attract all visitors to the Moroccan scientific capital, whether they are Moroccans or foreigners.
Dar Debbagh dates back to the eleventh century, and it is the largest leather tanning house in Morocco. It is the oldest vegetable tannery in the world, as it preserved its traditional method of processing leather.
Shopping and eating in Fez
Besides the popular markets that offer a range of traditional products such as clothing, leather shoes, and jewelry, tourists can visit modern centers that offer international brands, in addition to restaurants that offer various Moroccan cuisine of a local character, as well as dishes prepared from international cuisine.
Old Medina of Fez is famous for making Fasi dishes, such as the famous Moroccan "pastilla", stuffed with chicken or pigeons in addition to almonds, and it is a dish that combines salty and sweet taste at the same time. There is another food that Fassi cuisine is famous for, which is the "Khlii or Khlea", which is dried meat dipped in fat and is usually served at breakfast with eggs. Likewise, the chicken dish with almonds and chickpeas that adorns the pottery tagine in every Fassi restaurant, and these dishes are served in various famous restaurants in Fez or hotels scattered in various neighborhoods of the old city.
Where can you spend your night?
There are many options for staying in Fez between classified and unclassified hotels, as well as guest houses and furnished apartments for daily rent. Overnight pricing in Fez enables the tourist, whatever his budget, to spend the night, as the price starts from 400 dirhams (40 Euros) per night in a small apartment located in a popular neighborhood, all the way to unclassified hotels whose price does not exceed 300 dirhams per night. These prices may rise according to supply and demand in some seasons of the year.
The city of Fez has many luxury hotels and historical guesthouses, with prices that remain relatively low, as the choice remains for the tourist according to his budget, and there are many hotels that offer discounts and offers for tourist groups in various seasons.
Visiting the city of Fez is one of the unforgettable moments for tourists. It is a city that brings its visitors back to many historical eras and stops them to contemplate the greatness of the civilizations that succeeded in this ancient city, whose features still bear witness to the greatness of the Moroccan man, a city that was once a source of knowledge, a reference in the cultural heritage, and an inspiration for social stories of races and religions which mixed and coexisted in the "great Fez".
