The fourth largest city in Morocco, with nearly one million people, and an amazing array of sights and sounds, Fez is a city that must be enjoyed on any trip to Morocco.

Founded in 790 BC, the city has at numerous in the past been the medieval capital of Morocco, and is considered the best-preserved old city in the entire Arab world.

The amount of historical treasures to see in this city are too numerous to mention, but suffice to say, this is a tourist city and any visitor to Morocco must visit the city.

The Medina

The centerpiece to the city, and a main attraction for any tourist, is the Labyrinthine Medina of Fez el-Bali, which is a massive walled area of the city that has mosques, fountains and shops. It is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the largest car-free urban zone on the planet.

It is so large, that you should have a guide with you, so you do not get lost in the maze of narrow streets that dominate the medina.

Other Attractions

No tourist would consider a trip to Fez complete without a trip to the Bou Inania Madrasa, a 14^th century religious college that is considered one of the most beautiful in the Arab world.

The Moulay Idriss II Shrine, which is the tomb of Fez’s founder, is an impressive sight to behold. Only Muslims are allowed in the tomb, but even seeing the exterior is worth a visit.

The Karaouine Mosque, which non-Muslims cannot enter, is in the middle of the Medina and was the center of Islamic learning for over one thousand years. It is surrounded by Islamic schools, which are often open to the public. One of the schools is the Attarine Madrasa, which was built 700 years ago and features a large bronze door and amazing courtyard.

Hotels and Riads in Fes

The Riad Fes, a high-end hotel, is considered one of, if not the, best hotel in all of Fes. It offers live entertainment nightly, free complimentary tea in every room. There is wireless internet service, massage services and beautiful patios that feature Moorish art, antique doors, mosaics and a grand piano.

There are several suites available at the hotel, including the Royal Suite, which has a private terrace and fresh fruit and flowers in every room. The Ambassador Suite has a terrace that overlooks the garden, as well as a beautiful marble bathroom.

The Junior and Deluxe rooms, feature many pieces of beautiful furniture with oriental influences and contemporary designs mixed together.

The Riad El Yacout is a Fassi boutique hotel restored in the Medina. It has sculpted floors and ceilings, as well as a Moroccan salon and a Hammam bath. Rooms are equipped with all the amenities of a standard hotel, including room service from the classical Moroccan cuisine including tajine and figs, couscous and pastille.

The Ryad Mabrouka Fez is located in the heart of the Medina, surrounded by an Arab-Andalousian setting with an interior courtyard. The rooftop terrace offers a panoramic view of the Medina, and most of the rooms have a king-sized bed or a double bed, and private bathrooms.

Things to do

There are several guided tours that cater to tourists in Fez, which take you to various historical attractions in the city and outside of it, including the Imperial City of Meknes, the cave homes of the pre-Islamic Bhalil culture and the cedar forests, waterfalls and lakes outside the city.

The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music is Held in June, while The Jazz in Riads Festival is in September. The Festival of Culinary Arts is also held in June.

If you feel like a dip, check out the Moulay Yacoub Thermal Baths in Fez, perfect for any tourist. If you are a golfer, there is the Fes Royal Golf Club, which is an 18-hole course by Cabell Robinson.

If you are looking for tours of not only the Medina, but the city itself, there are several to check out.

The Fez City Tour, which is seven hours long, takes you through several of the historical sights of Fez. Picking you up and dropping you off at your hotel, you will be taken on a journey through history through the third-most important city in the Muslim religion. The guides for this tour speak ten languages, so you know, as a tourist, you will gets someone speaking your language.

One of the best tours to take is the Fez Tour, which is nine hours long. Learn about the history of Fez, as well as some of the newer facts in this highly-informative journey. No trip to Fez would be complete without this. You begin your day with a tour of the city, including the new city, which was built in the 12^th century, and the Medina. You will navigate the streets of the Medina, complete with winding roads, donkeys pulling goods and a frenzied market of buyers and sellers.

As part of the tour, you will see mosques that have stood for ventures, universities that were the pride of the Muslim world in the Middle Ages, open-air tanneries, a ceramic workshop and a traditional shop that carries copper, ceramic and leather goods.

In Fez el-Djedid, you can see the Royal Palace, the Jewish Quarter, followed by a trip to the Merenid Tombs. The guides, who are all government-certified, speak Japanese, French and English.

If you want to see the entire city as a whole, journey out to the eastern end of the plain of Saiss, which is bordered by the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. This site, which is the Merinid tombs, gives you the view of the skyline, giving you the ability to see all the palaces, holy places, the Karaouine Mosque, squares, and mass of humanity that moves through the Medina.

Overview

Fez is an amazing city to behold, filled with history, sights, sounds and much more to delight the senses and dazzle the mind. Check out the Medina, take the Fez Tour, and see a part of the world that is truly historic and monumental.