Fes — what to know
Morocco's spiritual and intellectual capital, home to the world's oldest university and the largest car-free urban medieval quarter on earth. Fes el-Bali is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has changed little since the 9th century — a living museum of Islamic civilisation.
Morocco's Spiritual Capital
Fes is the oldest of Morocco's four imperial cities, founded around 789 CE by Idris I and expanded by his son Idris II in 808 CE. At its peak in the 14th century under the Marinid dynasty, Fes was one of the most important cities in the Islamic world — a centre of scholarship, trade, and architecture that rivalled Cairo and Baghdad.
Today, Fes el-Bali (the old city) remains the world's largest car-free urban area — a maze of 9,400 streets and alleyways where donkeys and mules still outnumber motorcycles. Its 14th-century skyline of minarets, medersa domes, and tannery rooftops is virtually unchanged. This is Morocco's most authentic city, and the most rewarding for travellers willing to get lost.
The World's Oldest University
Al Quaraouiyine (also spelled al-Qarawiyyin) was founded in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, a woman from a wealthy Tunisian merchant family. Recognised by UNESCO and the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest continuously operating university, it has educated theologians, mathematicians, and historians for over 1,100 years. The mosque-university complex sits at the heart of Fes el-Bali, and its tiled minaret is a navigational landmark for lost wanderers.
The Chouara Tanneries
One of Morocco's most iconic sights, the Chouara Tanneries have operated since the 11th century using unchanged processes. Workers dye leather in circular stone vats filled with pigment — saffron for yellow, indigo for blue, poppy for red, henna for orange. The panoramic view from surrounding leather shop terraces (freely available with a guide) is unmissable. Visit in the morning when the vats are most active and the light is best for photography.
Beyond the tanneries, Fes rewards the curious: the Bou Inania Medersa is the finest example of Marinid architecture in Morocco, its carved cedarwood and geometric tilework a masterclass in Andalusian-Moroccan craftsmanship. The Merenid Tombs above the city offer the best panoramic view of Fes at sunset. And the Mellah — the old Jewish quarter — tells the story of a cosmopolitan city that was home to Jews, Arabs, and Berbers for centuries.
