Fez is a city in northeastern Morocco often considered the cultural capital of the country. It is mainly known for the fortified medina of Fez El Bali, with its medieval Merinid architecture, its lively souks, and its atmosphere of yesteryear. The medina is home to religious schools such as the Bou Inania and Al Attarine medersas dating from the 14th century, both decorated with carved cedar panels and delicate mosaics.
Fez is undoubtedly the city of the kingdom the most loaded with history. Along with Damascus, Baghdad, Cordoba, and Istanbul, it was one of the main cities of the Arab-Muslim civilization. Fez abounds in places of interest that can only please lovers of cultural discovery.
The traces of this rich past are still very present: a preserved and authentic medina, many religious monuments, a city still very much rooted in tradition, ... Numerous buildings in the medina of Fez bear witness to the past greatness of the city.
Through this ticket, I hope to make you want to visit Fez during your trip to Morocco. Without forgetting its surroundings which also deserve to be visited over several days. Otherwise, if you are already convinced by the idea of visiting Fez, I hope that this guide on Fez will help you prepare for your trip by giving you some advice.
I recommend you the 9 best places to visit Fez in Morocco:
Madrasa Attarine
The Medersa Attarine is an ancient Koranic school in Fez, Morocco. This medersa was built between 1323 and 1325 by the Merinid sultan Abu Said Othman. It was named after the adjoining Souk of perfumes and spices: the Souk el-Attarine. It is located near the Quaraouiyine.
The Medersa Attarine was one of the main schools of Koranic religion in which students could reside during their studies.
Since much of the instruction took place in the Al Quaraouiyine Mosque, most of the city's medersas (or madrasas) were located in its vicinity.
This Attarine medersa, so-called because of the neighborhood in which it is located, remained in use until the beginning of the 20th century, when the 60 students who lived in the 30 rooms had to abandon them permanently.
The medersa extends around an inner courtyard in the middle of which there is an imposing marble fountain. At the end of the patio, a cedar wood dome with abundant ornaments covers the prayer room in which one can contemplate the mihrab indicating the direction of Mecca.
The walls of the medersa are decorated with beautiful mosaics on which are inscribed phrases from the Qur'an.
On the upper part of the walls, you can admire impressive floral motifs.
The upper floors of the building are occupied by the small halls in which the young students spent their years of study.
If in Fez, you can visit other medersas, Attarine is distinguished above all by the elegance and harmony of its architecture. It is one of the best-preserved and best-decorated medersas in Morocco.
Madrasa Bou Inania
The most important medersa of Fez, it was built between 1350 and 1355 J-C by the Merinidian Sultan Abu Inan is the most famous of all the Merinidian madrasas of Fez and Morocco. In addition to its role as a normal school and housing for students, it was to serve as a Friday mosque. It also has a beautifully proportioned minaret and a hydraulic clock (Magana) whose operating system is still unknown to us. This Islamic university is a treasure of Merinid art. Its architecture is superb and the details very elegant. The walls covered with mosaics and carved plaster are to be seen.
The medersa was located in the city, in a district that was the junction between the old city and the new Merinid constructions. The general plan is irregular, due to the location, but a certain symmetry is respected. The main entrance leads to a large central courtyard, into which open two smaller rooms, used as courtyards and surmounted by wooden domes. This plan is reminiscent of the two-iwan plan that originated in Iran and was used in contemporary Mamluk Egypt.
At the back of the courtyard is a prayer hall with two naves parallel to the qibla. It has a single mirhab, which projects into the wall, and four onyx columns. This room is covered with two wooden vaults.
Qarawiyin Quarter (Main Mosque of Fez)
The most beautiful mosques of Fez with the Mosque and the University of Karaouiyne, the oldest in Africa.
The Karaouiyne Mosque is located in the heart of the medina of Fez, near the Nejjarine Museum.
The Karaouiyne Mosque is the mosque around which the Medina was built.
Close to the Moulay Idriss sanctuary, the Karaouiyne mosque (as opposed to the Andalusian mosque on the other bank) represents Islamic science with its scholars, its orthodoxy. It is the Friday mosque where Muslims gather for common prayer.
Built-in 1144, it can accommodate up to 20 000 faithful under its 16 naves supported by 270 finely decorated columns.
Chouara Tannery: the largest tanneries in Fez
During a stay in Fez, you will of course pass by an unavoidable site: the Chouara tannery. Indeed, there are several tanneries in Medina but the most famous and most impressive is the Chouara Tannery which has become a real postcard for the city.
The tanneries are located in the district of Blida. They need water and have therefore established themselves near the river (Oued) Fez, not far from the Seffarine square, north of the Rcif square. The place Sffarine is a good landmark to find the tanneries. There are also some signposts. When we arrived in the area, we went to see the river (probably hoping to find a bit of freshness like near our Breton rivers because in this early afternoon the sun was beating hard).
Merinides Tombs
Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the Merinids were the kings of the Maghreb and the Iberian Peninsula. They built a large part of the old city of Fez, "Fez el-Bali". It was they who made Fez the cultural capital of the country. The medina has become a jewel of architecture and history. The sultans received beautiful tombs after much work. The first was buried in Rabat, in the necropolis of Chellah, the last in Fez, in the tombs of the Merinids!
After the fall of the Merinids, subsequent dynasties did not wish to maintain the tombs. The sites fell into ruin, worn by sun, wind, and weather. Today, the Merinid tombs are truly dilapidated. Some structures remain with beautiful patterns and friezes, but it is clear that the site has lost some of its splendor.
Nejjarine Museum
This Fondouk is located in the Nejjarine district, occupied for centuries by the carpenters of Fez. It opens at the end of the square of the same name, by a door pierced in a facade exceptional by its dimensions.
The Fondouk or caravanserai once sheltered foreigners passing through the city. On the first floor, decorated with moucharabiehs, the galleries are divided into cells sheltered animals. Upstairs, guests were housed in rooms.
According to historians, the building dates back to the 18th century and was completely restored by the Karim Lamrani Foundation. The Fondouk now houses the Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts. The installation of the museum within this superb historical monument, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1916, was done in accordance with the typology of Fondouk and its architectural characteristics.
The museum gathers woodworking tools and collections of woodwork and cabinet making, old and contemporary. The exhibition, thematic, extends over three levels of the building. The thematic exhibition covers the three levels of the building. It is divided into three main themes: domestic wood, architectural wood, and liturgical wood. The terrace, with its tea room, offers visitors the opportunity to take a break and quench their thirst while contemplating a panoramic view of the medina of Fez.
Seffarine Square
It is on Place Seffarine that metal, iron, brass, and copper craftsmen work in open workshops. These craftsmen are called "dinandiers" and gather from the place Ssaffarine or Seffarine to the small streets that start from this square. The medina of Fez is organized by neighborhood and craftsmen naturally gather by trade. You will find there a very important number of chandeliers, wall lights, lamps, and other chiseled metal trinkets.
Bab Boujloud district
The most famous monument of Fez: Bab Boujloud the main door of the medina.
Built-in the 12th century, the Bab Boujloud gate was originally part of the Kasbah Boujloud. The gate consists of three doors, two of which are smaller and symmetrical. The gate is covered with blue ceramics, the color of the city of Fez on the outside, and green, the color of Islam on the medina side. It was made of cedarwood and carved stuccoes that will be restored soon. The last major restoration of the door dates from 1912. Today, the city is also working on the enlargement of the Boujloud square.
The Moulay Idriss mausoleum
The mausoleum (Zaouïa) of Moulay Idriss II is a sanctuary dedicated to the man who was king of Morocco between 807 and 828 and the founder of the city for the second time in 810.
Five centuries after the death of Moulay Idriss II, in 1308, a body found in perfect condition, attributed to the patron saint, transformed the region into a sacred place (Zaouïa).
The mausoleum, located on Green March Square, began to be built-in 1717 and was completed in 1824, since then it is considered the most sacred place in the medina.
Over the centuries, the building has been modified and replaced almost completely. In the 18th century, Moulay Ismail modified it to give it an Alawite style.
The building is part of an architectural ensemble including the presumed house of Moulay Idriss, the Al-Araf Mosque, the fountain, and the masion where ablutions were practiced. The complex, known as al-haram (the forbidden), was a place where Muslims could find refuge and asylum.
