Fes el-Bali

The old medina of Fes el-Bali

Fes was founded at the end of the 8th century, and its old medina, Fes el-Bali, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is a maze of lanes too narrow for cars, where goods still move by hand cart and by mule, and where tanners, potters, metalworkers and weavers work in their own quarters. The city grew into a great centre of learning around the al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, and it is best seen with a local guide who knows the way through.

Region: Fès-Meknès
Best season: Spring · Autumn

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Fes el-Bali: The old medina of Fes el-Bali

What Fes el-Bali is known for

A medina of narrow lanes with no cars
The Chouara tanneries and their dye pits
The al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, founded in 859
The Bou Inania and al-Attarine madrasas
The Mellah, the old Jewish quarter
Living crafts: zellige tiles, copper, leather, embroidery

Highlights

Chouara tanneries

Stone vats of dye where hides are soaked and coloured by hand. You see them from the terraces of the leather shops around the pits, and the morning is the best time.

Al-Qarawiyyin

Founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri and often described as the oldest university still teaching. The mosque is closed to non-Muslims, but you glimpse its courtyard through the doorways.

The medina maze

Fes el-Bali is truly a labyrinth, and getting a little lost is part of it: small bakeries, weavers, neighbourhood mosques and tiny squares, with a guide to bring you back out.

The Mellah

The old Jewish quarter of Fes, with its balconied houses, a restored synagogue and wide views over the city from its upper streets.

Best time to visit

Spring: 5 / 5; March to May: pleasant temperatures and long evenings.
Summer: 2 / 5; June to August: very hot, and the medina gets stifling. See it in the morning.
Autumn: 5 / 5; September to November: comfortable and settled, one of the best times to visit.
Winter: 3 / 5; December to February: cool and sometimes rainy, with fewer visitors.

Travel tips

Take a local guide in the medina; finding your own way is slow and tiring.
Visit the tanneries in the morning.
If you buy leather, buy it at the tannery shops, where you can see where it comes from.
Try pastilla, the sweet and savoury pie of Fes, and a bowl of harira.
Wear shoes with a good grip; the lanes are steep and often uneven.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do I need in Fes?

One full guided day covers the main sights of the medina and the tanneries. Two lets you add the Mellah and a slower pace, and the Roman ruins of Volubilis are an easy half day away.

How do I get to Fes from Marrakech?

It is a long day's drive. Our trips make the journey part of the holiday, over the High Atlas or along the Middle Atlas, with a night on the way at Midelt, or by the Sahara on the longer routes.

Should I stay in the medina or the new town?

In the medina. Stepping through a plain door into a riad's tiled courtyard is part of Fes, and you are a short walk from everything. The new town is easier by car but has little of the old city's character.

Journeys to Fes el-Bali

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Private

Marrakech to Fes in 3 Days

One way from Marrakech to Fes over the High Atlas and the Middle Atlas, with Aït Ben Haddou, Ifrane, the Azrou cedars and a full day in the Fes medina.

Length: 3 days
Starts from: Marrakech
From: €299/ person for 14+