Medina of Fès

Medina of Fès, the historic centre of Old Fès, in Morocco, since 1967 protected by UNESCO under a Cultural Heritage plan and since 1981 a World Heritage Site. Medina is the Arabic word for town, but is now used in Morocco to refer to the original part of a Moroccan town that developed before the country became a French protectorate in 1912. The Medina of Fès is also known as Fès el Bali (Arabic, old Fès).

Since its earliest days Fès, one of the imperial cities of Morocco, has prospered as a trading and religious centre; each of the families which ruled Morocco, often making Fès their capital, further embellished the Medina. Mosques, houses, shops, flour mills, public baths, and fondouks (Arabic, two-storey lodging houses for visiting merchants) were built in such profusion that by the late 13th century no more space remained within the city walls and a garrison town Fès Jdid (Arabic, new Fès) was developed. The city was further expanded during the French protectorate.

Today the Medina remains a warren of narrow streets, the old buildings unchanged save for buttressing. It comprises nearly 200 quarters, each of which must by law contain a mosque, koranic school, bakery, fountain, and hamman (Arabic, Turkish bath). The Medina is home to many artisans; carpets and textiles, ceramics, metalwork, mosaics, and leather goods are crafted for sale to tourists and for export. There is a covered market and many small shops selling foodstuffs and clothing. The best-known monuments in the Medina are the Zaouia of Mulai Idris (9th century, rebuilt 13th century), the tomb of the founder of the city; the Karaouyine Mosque (founded in 859, enlarged until the 13th century); the Bou Inania Medersa, a lodging house for students built in 1355; and la Mosquée Andalous (founded in 860, enlarged 1200). The district is closed to motor vehicles.