A guided day on foot to visit the Medina of Fes

Fez is a city in northeastern Morocco often considered the cultural capital of the country. It is mainly famous for the fortified medina of Fez El Bali, with medieval Merinid architecture, lively souks and an old-fashioned atmosphere. The medina is home to religious schools. The imperial city is the capital of traditional culture of Morocco. Cradles of knowledge, its superb medersas are its flamboyant symbol.
This fortified city, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will take you back to the Middle Ages.
Located inside the medina, the entrance to the Bab Bou-Jeloud district is through its huge 1913 door, decorated with blue and green earthenware, the colors of the city.
Inside this district, visitors can visit the Bar Batah museum, bringing together the Arts and Traditions of the city.
Visit with an official guide the historical and cultural medina of Fez
Pick up at your hotel
Buy crafts

The Al Quaraouiyine Mosque is known to house the oldest university in the world, one of the most important centers of Islamic learning.
Built in 859, under the mandate of Fátima al Fihriya, and constantly expanding since its construction, the Al Quaraouiyine Mosque, also known as Al Qarawiyyin, is one of the largest architectural ensembles in Fez.

Museum of wood arts and crafts, a former place of commerce erected in 1711 under the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismail, and now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, this museum has been magnificently restored to house sublime pieces of wood as everyday objects, carpentry tools, musical instruments, weapons as well as objects of worship such as rosaries.

Moulay Idriss, patron saint of the city of Fez, is the most revered saint in the country and thousands of Muslims come to the mausoleum to obtain his blessing.
Mausoleum
Five centuries after the death of Moulay Idriss II, in 1308, a body found in perfect condition, attributed to the patron saint, transformed the region into a sacred place (Zaouia).
The mausoleum, located on the Place de Marche Verte, began to be built in 1717 and was finished in 1824, since when it is considered the most sacred place in the medina.
Over the centuries, the building has been altered and replaced almost completely. In the 18th century, Moulay Ismail modified it to give it an Alaouite style.
The building is part of an architectural ensemble composed of the presumed house of Moulay Idriss, the Al-Araf mosque, the fountain and the house where ablutions are performed. The complex, known as al-haram (the forbidden), was a place where Muslims could find refuge and asylum.

Chouara Tannery (sometimes spelled Chouwara) is one of three tanneries in the city of Fez, Morocco. It is the largest tannery in the city and one of the oldest. It is located in the Fes el Bali, the city’s oldest medina district, near the Saffarin Medersa along Oued Fes (also known as Oued Bou Khrareb). Since the establishment of the city, the tanning industry has operated continuously in the same way as at the beginning of the centuries. Today, the city’s tanning industry is considered one of the main tourist attractions. Tanneries are filled with round stone vessels filled with dye or white liquids to soften hides. Leather goods produced in tanneries are exported all over the world.

Built between 1323 and 1325 under the orders of Sultan Abu Said, the Attarine medersa is the most beautiful in Fez.
Medersa Attarine, tiles
Detail of the tiles of the attarine medersa
The Medersa Attarine was one of the main schools of Quranic religion in which students could reside during their studies.
As a large part of the courses took place in the Al Quaraouiyine mosque, most of the medersas (or madrasas) of the city were located in its surroundings.
This Attarine medersa, so named because of the district in which it is located, remained in operation until the beginning of the 20th century, when the 60 students who lived in the 30 rooms had to abandon them permanently.
The interior of the Madrasa
The medersa extends around an interior courtyard in the middle of which stands an imposing marble fountain. At the end of the patio, a cedar wood dome with abundant ornaments covers the prayer room.

Created in the 19th century, this park includes ponds and lush spaces that are home to 3,000 species of plants.

The Bou ‘Inania Medersa is a madrassah built in Fez, Morocco, between 1350 and 1355 for Sultan Abou ‘Inan Faris (r. 1348 – 59), under the Merinid dynasty. It is the only medersa in the city with that of the Seffarins to have a minaret, and it also adjoins businesses allowing its financing, as well as vast latrines, which testify to its public character. Indeed, the medersa functioned both as a school and as a Friday mosque.
This medersa is open to non-Muslims, like most medieval medersas in Morocco, such as its namesake in Meknes, or the Ben Youssef medersa in Marrakech, or those of Al ‘Attarin or As Saffarin in Fez.

Place Seffarine is a small square located in the heart of the medina of Fez el-Bali, between the souk of the dyers and that of the tanners.
On Place Seffarine, one of the oldest trades in Fez is still preserved today, that of boilermakers.
If Place Seffarine is best known for the profession of boilermaker which is practiced there, you can also discover prestigious monuments such as the Quaraouiyine library and the Seffarine madrasa.
The master boilermakers
Boilermakers have been working with copper since the dawn of time to produce objects such as teapots, trays, pots and other red copper containers.

Bab boujloud
The imposing entrance gate with its mosaic tiles is the most iconic portal to the old medina, Fez el-Bali, the largest medieval city and car-free urban zone in the world. The blue on the side that welcomes new visitors represents the color of the city of Fez, famous for its pottery, painted with elegant cobalt blue patterns. The reverse, which faces the medina, is green – the color of Islam.
Built in 1913, the bab (portal) is a bridge between two equally colorful and dynamic scenes, one distinctly reminiscent of the 21st century and the other an intriguing mix of different eras.
Once you pass through “The Blue Gate”, the traffic will quickly fade away, replaced by the din of traders selling their wares and the muffled footsteps of thousands of animals and pedestrians weaving through the winding lanes. From the Bab Boujeloud entrance, you will reach the two main streets of the medina.

Located in the heart of the medina of Fez el-Jdid, next to the royal palace, the “Mellah” is one of the most traditional and oldest districts of Fez. It was for centuries the place of residence of the Jewish community.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

• A guided day on foot to visit the Medina of Fes
  Add
  Pickup included

• support offered
• professional guide

Trending Fez Nearby Tours Likely To Sell Out

Please be advised..

• This Tour is Provided by Tour Abdou.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Africa/Casablanca.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• This Tour is Rated 5 Stars based on 13 valid reviews on TRIPADVISOR.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 10 Travelers is accepted for booking.