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2 SPAIN MEDITERRANEAN SEA Saïdia Rabat ATLANTIC OCEAN Zagora ALGERIA CANARY ISLANDS MAURITANIA 3 Fez 5 Editorial 6 The city that founded Morocco 8 The treasures of Fez el Bali 10 Fez, past and present 12 Surprising Fez 16 Palaces from the Thousand and One Nights 18 The Fassi art of living 20 Fassi craftwork: quality and true refinement 22 Cultural Fez 24 Sporting Fez 25 The city’s surroundings: springs and mountains 26 Information and useful addresses 4 5 Editorial Fascinating Fez When the most imperial of all Morocco’s cities welcomes its guests, it is to have them experience an altogether unique art of living for themselves. Fez is nothing less than a great open-air museum, on equal terms with Venice, Florence and Athens as an example of living world heritage. The subtle sumptuousness of its palaces, the richness of its museums, the solemn grandeur of its medersas, home to the greatest sages of the city’s Golden Age, and the magnificent profusion of its mosques, each one raised in devout homage to the glory of God - for all those who love art and culture, these many wonders are an irresistible and ever open invitation to discovery. The Kingdom’s spiritual and cultural centre, city of a thousand and one faces, Fez has lost none of its splendour over the centuries, unwavering in its determination to preserve Balance and harmony the its traditions and keep its ancient stones vibrantly alive. Its medina, a listed UNESCO city’s architecture is an World Heritage site, is as unique and authentic as it was over 1200 years ago. inspiration to reverie and the quest for wisdom Fez, a melting pot of so many succeeding cultures, has absorbed the very best from each, inheriting Arab nobility, Andalusian sophistication, Jewish ingenuity, and Berber tenacity. Its glorious past, its marvellously preserved material and immaterial heritage, and the timeless aristocracy that lies at the centre of its being are all part and parcel of the fascination that the city holds for all those who visit it today. 6 The city that founded Morocco The town of “Madinat Fas” was district, and, soon afterwards, around founded by Idriss I in 789. Twenty 2000 families from Kairouan fled years later, in 809, his successor, Idriss there to escape Abassid persecution and II, started work on making it his capital, created the Quaraouiyine district. Both building his royal palace there, along groups were to have a major impact with his mosque, his kissaria (covered on the city’s future. The newcomers market), his canals and his city walls. brought their knowledge and know-how The site was no haphazard choice, with them, along with long experience being carefully selected by the Idrissid of city life. It was at their instigation dynasty with a canny eye on the future. that Fez was to become an important Its geographic location on the fertile urban centre, whose way of life, so Saiss Plain, in the hollow of a valley closely bound up with Oued Fez, a at the foot of Mount Zalagh, made it river watered by some sixty springs, is an economic, political, and strategic something of a rarity in the history of A first overview of 1200 crossroads, and was a decisive factor in Moroccan cities. years of history... the city’s development and influence. The foundation of the Al Quaraouiyine In 817-818, two successive waves of university mosque in 857 marks the new arrivals began flowing into the city. start of the city’s Golden Age. The 800 Andalusian families expelled from centuries that followed were years of Cordoba by the Umayyads who settled unparalleled architectural creation - in Fez and founded the Andalusian mosques, fondouks (caravanserais), The Mellah district 7 Views of the medina from the surrounding hillsides have always inspired contemplation luxurious residences, and renowned As capital of the empire, Fez became medersas (universities) sprang into the refuge of choice for Andalusian being. The city saw itself become capital Muslims and Jews, the latter being of a vast empire, and aspired to yet responsible for the creation of its dizzier heights, with merchants, artists, Mellah (Jewish quarter). In the 16th scholars and students from throughout century, under the Saadian dynasty, the world flocking to its gates. Its the city’s fortunes fell into temporary cultural and spiritual influence was decline, and it had to wait until 1666 such that it came to be referred to as to regain its lost prestige and rank of the “Athens of Africa.” capital. When the Merinids seized power in Over the course of its long and the 13th century, they had a new city, remarkable history, Fez has endowed Fez el Jdid, built outside the existing itself with a rich and varied architectural walls to accommodate their palaces and and urban heritage, whose value the famous Mechouar (a huge square has been deservedly recognised by designed for ceremonial occasions and UNESCO in its listing of the city’s where the sovereign assembled the city medina as a World Heritage site. dignitaries for consultation and advice). The minarets of the mosque Quaraouiyine 8 The treasures of Fez-el-Bali The whole of the old city, Fez -el- The medersas (Koranic universities) Bali, is nothing less than a great bear living witness to the city’s open-air museum, with countless intellectual and scientific past. masterpieces of architecture They are the work of the Merinid awaiting your discovery in its 9,400 sultans, and played a prominent narrow little streets. Among the part in political, educational, and 10,572 listed buildings of historical cultural life. Founded in the 13th interest it contains, Fez boasts 185 century, the first to be built was mosques, numerous medersas, and the Seffarine Medersa, outstanding a selection of truly magnificent for the restrained elegance of its palaces. There are so many sights decor. The Bou Inania Medersa is that must simply not be left unseen. remarkable for the sumptuousness of its architecture - its wealth of Without a doubt, the most sculpted stuccowork and carved imposing of all its mosques is the cedar wood, and its rich onyx and Quaraouiyine. Founded in 859 marble decor. Ibn Khaldoun taught by Fatima El Fihria and later there. The El-Attarine Medersa enlarged, it is the very beating was built in 1325 and is one of heart of the city. Its name derives the wonders of the city, a true from the district in which it masterpiece, its decor - sculpted From its earliest days, stands, then inhabited by refugees marble and calligraphy, cedar wood the city’s history has from Kairouan. The Andalusian arches, finely worked mosaics been bound up with the Mosque dates back to 860, and its and arabesques - of breath-taking river upon whose banks great zellij-adorned gateway and delicacy. The Cherratine Medersa it lies as is evidenced by its wealth of magnificent carved wooden eaves are not to be was built by Sultan Moulay Rachid fountains missed out on. The Moulay Idriss in the 17th century, and could Zaouia houses the tomb of the accommodate up to two hundred city’s founder, Moulay Idriss II. students at a time. In days gone by, the fondouks (caravanserais) were mercantile centres, used as trading houses, hotels, and warehouses. They are located along the medina’s major thoroughfares (Talaa el Kibira, Talaa Sghira, Ras Cherratine, and Nejjarine) and close to its main gateways (Bab Boujloud, Bab Elguissa, and Bab Ftouh). The fountain extends the fondouk into the square with subtle elegance. Among the city’s 70 monumental public fountains, many are real masterpieces of decorative art - the Nejjarine 9 The left-hand pavilion and its ablution basin in the inner courtyard of the Qaraouiyine Mosque fountain, along with the one in Souk The Quaraouiyine Library dates Hayek and the Qouas fountain are back to the 12th century. Since particularly fine examples. 1613, it has housed over 32,000 manuscripts, playing a major role The Batha Palace is now a Museum in ensuring the city’s influence of Arts and Traditions, conserving as the Maghreb’s scientific and rich collections of traditional intellectual capital. It has recently Fassi artwork, including jewellery, been restored, and continues to embroidery, carpets, pottery, conserve its unique collections copperware, and wrought iron. of rare documents - works from The Nejjarine Museum of Wood the pens of such great sages as Arts and Crafts is accommodated Averroes and Ibn Khaldoun. in a magnificently restored former fondouk, whose rooftop terrace affords splendid views of Fez and the surrounding hillsides. Inside the Nejjarine fondouk 10 Fez, past and present The city’s souks are part and parcel Souk Tillis is renowned for its of Fassi life, and are organised carpets, the Nejjarine district for its corporately. Souk Attarine is without cabinetwork (moucharabiehs, coffee doubt one of the liveliest in the city, a tables, armchairs and, marquetry market street with two monumental work), and the coppersmiths in wooden doors at either end, which Es-Seffarine square produce finely are closed in the evenings at the end chased trays and teapots, along of business. In bygone olden days, it with countless other items of iron, specialised in the sale of traditional copper and silver ware. medicines, and according to Leon the African, its shops knew no rival A morning visit to the tanners’ anywhere in the world. Souk el- district (the Chouwara tanneries) Henna has been selling cosmetic is an absolute must. The tanneries, products for centuries (including made up of innumerable ditches Fassi craftwork is remarkable rhassoul, soft soap, kohl, rosewater, filled to the brim with a dazzling for its extraordinary and henna).

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