Fes City Guide
The most ancient and impressive of the imperial cities (Fès, Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat are known as the Imperial Cities, each having been the country's capital at some time during its history), it is still considered the cultural and spiritual centre of Morocco, the holiest city in the Islamic world after Mecca and Medina .
Fes is three distinct parts: Fes el-Bali (Old Fes), Fes el-Jdid (New Fes), and the modern, French-built Ville Nouvelle.
Fes el-Bali is the best preserved, continuously inhabited, medieval city still in existence. So precious are Fes's history, architecture, and culture, that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its medina is an unmappable maze of more than 9,000 alleys where mules are the only form of transport and life is a fascinating blend of medieval and modern. A far reaching conservation campaign has been attempting to preserve and interpret the remarkable historic legacy, with new uses being sought for fabulous old palaces, many of which are being restored by both Moroccan and foreign families.
Fes el-Jdid, south of the medina, is a 13th-century ‘new' town, home to the Dar el-Makhzen or Royal Palace (restored but closed to the public) and Mellah, the former Jewish quarter. The Ville Nouvelle is the city's modern business and commercial centre with wide boulevards, hotels, restaurants, cafés, bookshops, the university, the railway station and main bus terminus.
Fresh ideas are just one click away...
Travel Deals for Fes
-
Finland Activity & adventure holidays Finnish Lapland has enormous areas of untouched wilderness and mile upon mile of wild rolling fells. This vast open countryside, sparkling in the winter sunshine, just begs to be explored by
-
Orlando Adrenaline Whether you’re enjoying the hair-raising delights of the world’s only flying rollercoaster called Manta at SeaWorld or racing through the Everglades on an airboat in search of alligators, one thing’s for
-
Cambodia Luxury holidays Today Cambodia is symbolised by awesome Angkor Wat, the largest man-made religious structure in the world. However, Cambodia is also home to some of the finest boutique hotels in the world
-
Laos Inspire Me When the French colonised Indochina they had a saying: "The Vietnamese grow the rice, the Cambodians watch the rice grow, and the Lao people listen to the rice grow." This is
-
Vietnam Cultural breaks Vietnam is a country with a rich and varied history that is now firmly focused on her bright future. This is why it has become one of the hottest destinations for
-
Dominican Republic Family holidays The Dominican Republic has soared in popularity as a tropical hotspot for families seeking sun, sand and an affordable holiday in the Caribbean. The island's main attraction is magnificent golden sand
Quick links
