Things to do and places to visit in fes Morocco

Visiting Fez Morocco - Things to do and attractions to see in fes Morocco.

Fes (also Fez - Fès in French)

Fes is Morocco's most hitorically exotic imperial city. In fact, it is the only old ciy in the world with a living medieval heritage. History and culture served in a traditonal recipe are galore.

From old medina, museums, monuments, palaces, souks to riads, hammams and Moroccan cuisine at its excellency.

If you can't find a certified and dependable guide(hotels arrange this,too), you can hire a taxi. Most taxi drivers are knowledgeable about their city and tourirst points of interest. Touring Fes without a guide is not recommended if it's your first visit. Learn how to hire a cheap guide in Fes below.

Here is a list of must-see attractions in Fes.


Fes el Bali (Old Fes)

This is Fes'old Medina, UNESCO World Heritage Site. A rare historical gem that is still preserved.

From 11th century Bab Boujloud, the main entrance to the medina, lays an impressive labyrinth of 9400 small winding streets and narrow alleys that steep cross up and down.

Yes,that's almost 10 000 hustling and bustling narrow routes. A place where merchants, suppliers, assitants, shopers, visitors, donkeys and horses compete for a walking space.

Though the intersections have color codes (i.e blue for monuments route), a dependable guide is a must if you intend to delve any further. Failing this, few hours may not be enough just to get back to where you started.

This is a plunge back in time into a huge exhibition of functioning medieval shops, old palaces, riads, royal gardens, mosques, craftsmanship and artwork. Other stuff to see are artisan's workshops, souks, old transportation modes(donkeys and horses. Did we mention narrow streets?).

Here are some of the highlights that you can find in Fes el Bali("a" as in "Anne").

Zawiyaht & Mosques

Zawiyah(plural Zawiyaht) is an Islamic religious school or monastery with a fountain inside. Some of the most famous are Zawiyah Moulay Idriss II and Zawiyah Ahmed Tijani.
These are closed to non-muslims but you can peer into them if you pass by at times of prayer.

Al Qarawiyeen is both a mosque and a university for islamic studies, culture, language and other learning. It is not to be confused with a madrassa as in Asia. Though the foucs was initially on Islamic studies such as Quranic studies,Islamic law and theology, the curriculum also includes Arabic language,mathematics,physics,chemistry,foreign languages and even some astronomy.

It was founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter inheritant of a wealthy merchant. It is considered the oldest still operational academic degree-granting university in the world.

Its interior islamic design is stunning. Andalucia Mosque is another monument in Fes el Bali. If you're muslim, you can learn a lot from entering those places. Old architecture that makes sense then and still makes it today. You can learn more about Al Qarawiyeeen from Wikipedia here.

The square next to al Qarawiyeen also turns into a night retreat for the locals especially in summer time. Worth some strolling with history roaming in the air.

Madrasa Abu Inan

This is the only madrasa in Fes with a minaret - a marvel of Marinid architecture. Founded by Abu Inan Al Farisi (who also founded a another religious school with the same name in Meknes). Other places to visit in the medina:

Souks(Markets)
Brass works market (Near Qarawiyeen)
Leather market (This is the place to buy leather articles.)
Potter's Market
Furniture market (Gives you a glimpse of the old wedding furniture).

The Gates of Fes

Fes is walled by four massive city gates of amazing tile work and grand architectural designs.

Museum Dar Batha

Built by Sultan Moulay al-Hassan I in 19th century, this is a Hispano-Moorish palace houses the finest of traditional Moroccan crafts and pottery. It is located at Place du Batha.
Tel: (212)55-63 41 16

Nejjarine Museum(The Carpenters Museum)

This used to be the old traveling merchants hotel(funduq).Features traditional woodwork that dates back to the 18th century when the funduq was built.

Upstairs was the hotel,downstairs was a stable for travelers horses and the trading square.

Dar Bennani(also called Musee de la Musique Andalouse )

A museum,library,art gallery and Andalusian music conservatory. Located at Derb Cheikh El Fouqi near Palais de Fes.

The Arms Museum

Also called Borj.
This fortress,built in 16th century, houses a large collection of antique arms reflecting the moroccan craftsmanship at the time.The building also has a nice view of the medina.

Belghazi Museum

A museum of traditional arts and crafts. The place itself used to be a large traditional riad.


The tanneries

The tanneries in Fes are located nearby the Qarawiyeen Mosque. You can view the tanneries from the terraces looking down on the tanners' yard. The roofs belong to the surrounding leather shops. This is a rare opportunity to watch reams of cow hides treated in huge vats of dyes.
The skins processing involves no modern machinery and is manually done the way it was since the 11th century.

The smell can be intolerably strong since pigeon poo and cow urine and other strong smelling raw materials are integral ingredients in the process. So, may be it's a good idea to have some (perfumed) handkerchiefs handy. Leather stuff are more expensive to buy here than in the medina.

Dar el Makhzen(Old Royal Palace)

Place Seffarine,Fez Bazaar & Souk el Henna

These are all flee markets.

Moulay Yacoub Thermal Station

A therapeutic Spa with warm mineral healing waters located at about 20 Kms to the north west of fes. Locals throughout Morocco used to come to this place to immerse themselves in its warm and soothing waters. These hot springs are said to be great for curing dermic deseases. If you stay at the Sofitel,they also have an attached Hammam.

Moulay Abdellah Square

This is the city center square. A leisurely night tour by a petit taxi after supper or on your way back to the hotel for the night can be refreshing

Fez Mellah

Located in Fes-Jdid (new Fes),a walled Jewish quarter with a fortified gateway.

Some places to stay in Fes:
Riad Fes (Tel:212-5-35947610)

Some fez budget hotels addresses:

Hôtel Splendid, Fès (***)
Address: 9,Rue abdelkarim katabi – Fes
Hotel Splendid Telephone: (+212) 035-62-21-48
Hotel email for booking: splendid@iam.net.ma
Site web:Unknown
---------------------------------------------------
Fes Inn
Address :47, Rue 2 Sidi Brahim
Telephone: 212 555 64 00 89
Click here to visit Fes Inn Site web[In French]
Click here to visit Fes Inn Website In English
---------------------------------------
Hotel de la Paix:
Address:44,Avenue Hassan II Fes
Telephone: 66-38-364-700
Website: Unknown
----------------------------------------
Hotel Batha Fes
Address : Place Batha Istiqlal
Telephone: +212 35-74-10-77/78
Website: Unknown

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