In Your walking, Fez guided tour you will explore the local life in the medina through the visit of different local souks (markets) like the food, spices, mosques, palaces and more.
City of fez
It is an Arab Islamic city, located in the Kingdom of Morocco, and represents its scientific capital. Fez city is the largest city in the world in terms of being free of cars and vehicles.
The city of Fez occupies the northeastern part of the country, surrounded by forests, agricultural lands, and water springs.
Its population, according to 2018 statistics, was estimated at 964,891 people. Looking at the economic aspect, the economy in Fez depends on the modern and traditional industries sector, the service sector, tourism, agricultural activities, and other fields.
in this fez guided tour, we will discover the sights of the medina of fez on a walking day trip with a professional guide to spend an unforgettable day trip.
Fez guided tour landmarks
The city of Fez has a large number of historical monuments, magnificent palaces, and ancient mosques, which is an important centre, To attract visitors and tourists from inside and outside the city, and the most important of these landmarks are included in this fez guided tour:
Mosques
Below we mention the most important ones:
- Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque: It is one of the most important and most prominent historical and religious monuments in the city and it’s a beating heart. Its construction was completed in 859 AD by order of Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihri, knowing that it was named Al-Qarawiyyin; In reference to the village of Al-Qarawiyyin, which was inhabited by the refugees from Kairouan.
- Andalusian Mosque: It was established one year after the Qarawiyyin Mosque; That is, in the year 860 AD, which is characterized by an amazing urban pattern; It is entered through huge doors decorated with tiles, topped by a ceiling covered with carved wood.
- Mausoleum of Moulay Idris II: Moulay Idris II is considered the founder of the city of Fez. He was buried in the Zaouia of Moulay Idriss.
Quranic Schools and Universities
Below we mention the most important ones:
- Al-Saffarin School: It is the oldest school in the city, It was created during the eighteenth century, and its architectural design is characterized by simplicity and splendour; Which makes it a destination for a large number of visitors to the city.
- Al Bouanania School: It is one of the distinguished Quranic universities in the city. History mentions that it witnessed the presence of Ibn Khaldun in its halls. He gave some lessons there. This school is famous for its distinctive urban style, which is represented by the use of cedar wood, carved gypsum artefacts, and other marble and onyx decorations.
- The Attarine School: It is one of the wonderful masterpieces in the city of Fez, as it was built in 1325 AD. It is characterized by the presence of wooden arches at its entrances, and its walls and floors are adorned with mosaic panels, inscriptions, and Arab decorations, in addition to carved marble facades.
- Ras Al Sharatine School: It was established during the seventeenth century by order of Sultan Moulay Rashid bin Sharif, and it provided educational services to about 200 students.
Hotels, Fountains, Museums
- hotels: In the past, hotels represented places of residence for merchants, and stores for their goods, as they spread in the city of Fez in abundance at the main axes of the old city; That is, near the area of al-Tala’a al-Kabira, al-Tala’a al-Saghira, al-Najjarin, and Ras al-Sharatin, in addition to the hotels near the major gates of the city, namely: Bab Bujloud, Bab al-Kisa, and Bab al-Futuh.
- Public Fountains: The city of Fez has many fountains in its public streets, which are distinguished by a wonderful artistic and decorative character, including the Carpenters’ Fountain, the Hayek Market Fountain, and the Qawas Fountain.
- Museums: including the Batha Palace, which is a museum of exquisite pieces of art, of a local character in Fez; Where it includes a large collection of embroidery, jewellery, copper pots, carpets, and other traditional handicrafts, and there is also the villagers’ treasury, which was founded during the seventeenth century, and contains about 32,000 archaeological manuscripts, including unique and rare documents belonging to Ibn Khaldoun, Ibn Rushd, and other great scholars.
Markets and Neighborhoods
- Souk Attarine: It is the busiest and most active market in the city of Fez, where traditional medicine products were sold in the past. Today, it includes a large number of shops and has two large doors that close by evening.
- Al-Henna market: It is one of the old markets in the city. Selling cosmetics such as kohl, rose water, black soap, henna, and other cosmetics.
- Souk Al Sarajeen: It includes many shops specializing in the sale of local Fassi embroideries, embroideries, silk, kaftans, decorated sherpels, and other fabrics and embroideries.
- Souk Al-Tlais: It is located in the Al-Najjarin neighbourhood, and it included many Al-Riyasha workshops; That is, the manufacture of tables, mashrabiyas, and inlaid wood.
- Al-Saffarin Square: It includes many shops specializing in the sale of products made of iron, copper, and silver, such as carved trays, and teapots.
- Tanners neighbourhood: This neighbourhood includes a tannery made up of a group of pits in which sheep, goats and cows’ skins are treated and coloured by placing them in pits filled with liquids of different colours.
- Al-Mallah neighbourhood: It is a neighbourhood that was established during the sixteenth century by order of the sultan, as the aim of its establishment was to protect the Jewish population coming to the city. Upholstery, fabrics, and jewellery.
Ancient Palaces
- The Royal Palace: It is one of the historical palaces in the city of Fez. Its construction dates back to the eighteenth century AD. This palace includes at its entrance a wide courtyard built by the Alawites, in addition to large decorated and engraved doors.
- Kasr El Kallaoui: It is the palace inhabited by the Pasha of Marrakesh, Tohami El Claoui. It is considered the most beautiful palace in the city of Fez. Among its walls, it includes about 1,000 rooms, 30 fountains, two gardens, a Quranic school, a Moroccan bath for men and another for women, and a mill. For the production of oil, and a mill for wheat.
- Al-Maqri Palace: It is one of the ancient palaces with a distinctive architectural design. Where its doors and walls are adorned with ebony, hammered iron, and scalpels, as well as carved, painted, and combined domes with Baroque carpentry inlaid with Venetian glass.
- Al Munbhi Palace: It is one of the oldest palaces in the city. It was established at the end of the nineteenth century, and construction work continued by local architects for about 15 years, to eventually come out as a building, and an amazing masterpiece, noting that this palace is currently used as a restaurant that hosts gourmet visitors.
Rivers
- Fez River: It is a river in the middle of the Fez el-Bali region. It enters the city from two different locations, exits from the Bab el-Ghadr region, and eventually flows into the Sebou River.
- Wadi Fez River: It passes through the new city of Fez, and through the orchards located in front of Bab Al-Hadid. It enters Fez from the Bab Seba area, and exits through beautiful gardens, to finally flow into the Sebou River.
- Laayoune: In the city of Fez there are a large number of water springs, especially in the southern and western parts of the city, where the water of the springs is characterized by its coldness during the summer, knowing that it is more desirable than the water of rivers.
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