Fez
The spiritual capital: the world's largest medieval medina, alive and UNESCO-listed.
Fez is the oldest of the imperial cities and Morocco's spiritual and craft capital. Its medina, Fez el-Bali, is the largest car-free urban area in the world, a UNESCO-listed maze of 9,000 lanes.
Al Quaraouiyine University (the oldest in the world), the Chouara tanneries, madrasas covered in zellige: Fez lives to the rhythm of its craftsmen, of leather, copper and blue ceramic.
UNESCO cites one of the largest and best-preserved old cities in the Muslim world: an intact medieval ensemble of mosques, madrasas, palaces and fountains, still lived in and still at work.
Medina of Fez — inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981.
What to see and do in Fez
- The Fez el-Bali medina and its 9,000 lanes
- The Chouara tanneries, seen from a terrace
- The Bou Inania Madrasa and Al Quaraouiyine University
- Seffarine square and the coppersmiths
- The blue gate, Bab Boujloud
- The ceramic and zellige workshops
Frequently asked questions
How many days do we allow in Fez?
Two days for the medina, the madrasas and the craft workshops. A third day lets us add Meknes and Volubilis, both close by.
What is the medina visit like?
With our official Fez guide. The medina is a maze of 9,000 lanes: he opens the workshops and terraces you would never find alone. You are never left to chance.
Which season do we choose for Fez?
Spring and autumn. We avoid high summer: the medina can be stifling then.