Things to do in Fes: the essentials of the medina
Fes el-Bali, the old town, is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. These are the visits that shape a first stay, all within walking distance of the riad.
Al-Quaraouiyine University
Founded in 859, Al-Quaraouiyine is regarded as one of the oldest continuously operating places of learning. Its courtyard and historic library are partly open to visitors; the prayer hall stays reserved for worshippers.
Bou Inania Medersa
This 14th-century Quranic school is a showcase of Marinid craft: zellige, carved cedar, chiselled stucco and a marble courtyard. It is one of the few religious buildings in the medina open to non-Muslim visitors.
The Chouara tanneries
The open-air dyeing pits have worked since the Middle Ages. You look down on them from the terraces of the surrounding leather shops; someone will usually hand you a sprig of mint for the smell. There is no obligation to buy.
Bab Bou Jeloud and the souks
The "blue gate" marks the western entrance to the medina. From it run the two main arteries, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira, lined with workshops: coppersmiths, weavers, cabinetmakers, the spice market and the dyers’ souk near Rcif square.
Getting above the rooftops
Late in the day a rooftop terrace gives the best view over the medina and its minarets. The riad’s own terrace is open from sunrise to sunset; the call to prayer moving from one minaret to the next at dusk is a highlight of any stay.
For more, see our Fes medina guide and our three-day itinerary.