Fès: The World's Oldest Medina and Its Treasures

Fès, founded in the 9th century, is home to the world's oldest university and a UNESCO-listed medina that time seems to have spared. Dive into this labyrinth of 9,000 alleyways where every corner tells a thousand years of history.

Birth of an intellectual capital

Fès was founded around 789 by Moulay Idriss I, the first sovereign of the Idrisside dynasty and great-great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. A few decades later, his son Idriss II made the city the capital of his kingdom, giving it the momentum that would turn it into the greatest intellectual centre of medieval Maghreb.

Two distinct suburbs initially made up the city: Adouat el-Andalous, populated by refugees from Córdoba, and Adouat el-Qarawiyyin, inhabited by families from Kairouan in Tunisia. This dual origin gave Fès an unrivalled cultural and artistic richness in the Arab-Berber world.

Al-Qarawiyyin, the world's oldest university

Founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihriya, a learned woman from Kairouan, Al-Qarawiyyin University is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Generations of scholars, jurists and philosophers studied there, including Ibn Khaldun, the father of modern sociology.

The Al-Qarawiyyin mosque-university is also one of the largest and most beautiful in the Maghreb, able to accommodate more than 20,000 worshippers. Its library, recently restored by architect Aziza Chaouni, preserves unique manuscripts dating back to the 9th century, including one of the oldest copies of the Quran and a handwritten letter by Ibn Khaldun.

Bab Bou Jeloud and the monumental gates

Bab Bou Jeloud, built in 1913 during the French Protectorate, is the main gate of Fès el-Bali. Its horseshoe arch is covered in emerald green zelliges on the medina side and cobalt blue on the new town side — the two symbolic colours of Fès. It is through this gate that one enters the medieval world of the city.

Beyond Bab Bou Jeloud, the main arteries of Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira descend towards the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque, lined with craftsmen's shops, fondouks (former warehouse-caravanserais) and sumptuous madrassas such as the Bou Inania Madrassa, a masterpiece of 14th-century Merinid art, with its central pool, zelliges and breathtakingly fine stucco.

The Chouara Tanneries: Fès's gold

The Chouara Tanneries are one of Morocco's most iconic images. Dating from the 11th century, they are considered the oldest tanneries in the world still in operation. Hundreds of craftsmen dye hides by hand in large circular vats filled with natural pigments: henna for red, saffron for yellow, indigo for blue, poppy for white.

The tanning process has remained almost identical for a thousand years. The hides are first soaked in a mixture of pigeon urine, salt and lime to soften them, then plunged into the dye vats. The spectacle, visible from the terraces of the surrounding leather shops, is striking — and pungent. To lessen the smell, shopkeepers offer visitors a sprig of fresh mint.

Fès el-Jdid and the royal Mellah

Fès el-Jdid (the 'New Fès'), founded in the 13th century by the Merinids, houses the Royal Palace (Dar el-Makhzen), whose immense gilded bronze doors are among the most beautiful in Morocco. Nearby, the Mellah, the Jewish quarter founded in 1438, is the oldest in Morocco and bears witness to the centuries-long cohabitation between Muslim and Jewish communities in Fès.

The Jnane Sbil gardens, recently redesigned, offer a cool haven at the gates of Fès el-Bali, with their pools, palm trees and shaded paths. They provide a welcome pause before plunging back into the enchanting alleyways of the medina. In the evening, the view from the hills surrounding Fès — particularly from the Merinid Tombs — is absolutely magical.

Practical tips for exploring Fès

Getting lost in Fès el-Bali is almost inevitable and part of the experience. The medina has more than 9,000 streets and alleyways, many of which are dead ends. A local guide is strongly recommended for a first visit: they know the shortcuts, hidden craftsmen's workshops and the best terraces with views over the tanneries. The best season to visit is spring (March-May) or autumn (September-November).

Fès is accessible by train from Casablanca (3h30), Rabat (2h30) and Marrakech (7h). Tour Come Morocco offers private tours from Marrakech allowing you to combine both imperial cities in a single trip. Fès cuisine, considered the great Moroccan cuisine par excellence, is worth the journey in itself: pigeon pastilla, chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons, harira and gazelle horns.