In the same year of this conquest, Yusuf ibn Tashfin finally unified Madinat Fas and Al-'Aliya into one city. They were mostly located on higher ground overlooking Fes el-Bali, from which they would have been easily able to bombard the city with canons. Reserve Share Barceló Fés Medina. [53], After the death of Abdallah al-Ghalib a new power struggle would emerge, after Abd al-Malik would take Fez with Ottoman support and oust his nephew Abu Abdullah. Elsewhere, the Jewish quarter (Mellah) is the site of the 17th-century Al-Fassiyin Synagogue and Ibn Danan Synagogue, as well multiple other lesser-known synagogues, though none of them are functioning today. [141] Another public university, the Euromed University of Fez, was created in 2012 and is certified by the Union for the Mediterranean. [117][118][119] The two other major tanneries are the Sidi Moussa Tannery to the west of the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Ain Azliten Tannery in the neighbourhood of the same name on the northern edge of Fes el-Bali. The latter stretches out to the west and south and is occupied largely by farmland. Due to the ferocious resistance they encountered from the local population, the Almohads demolished the city's fortifications. [109] The library of the Madrasa of al-Qarawiyyin was also established under Marinid rule around 1350, which stores a large selection of valuable manuscripts dating back to the medieval era. Instead, the French administration built new modern cities (the Villes Nouvelles) just outside the old cities, where European settlers largely resided with modern Western-style amenities. [18] The city also had a strong Jewish community, probably consisting of Zenata Berbers who had previously converted to Judaism, as well as a small remaining Christian population for a time. On this section, we strive to bring you the best and most relevant links to resources outside Morocco.com.Check back regularly, as it is sure to be updated frequently, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you feel you should appear on these listings. The leather goods produced in the tanneries are exported around the world. Tours involve a mix of walking and sightseeing by private vehicle, so you’ll be able to cover more sights in less time—with no shopping stops. [140], Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University is a public university founded in 1975 and is the largest in the city by attendance, counting over 86,000 students in 2020. Fez is the medieval capital of Morocco founded by Idris I in 789, and a great city of high Islamic civilization, culture and education. During this period the Jewish population of the city grew and the Mellah (Jewish quarter) was formed on the south side of this new district. In Morocco, medina simply means “city”. [52], In the 16th century the Saadis rose to power in southern Morocco and challenged the Wattasids. Both brothers fortified their respective shores, and their names have been preserved in two of the city's gates to this day: Bab Guissa in the north and Bab Ftouh in the south. Hence, Morocco remained the only North-African state to deter and defeat the Ottomans. Michael Dumper, Bruce E. Stanley, pagina 151. Al Karaouin of Fez: The Oldest University in the World, "UEMF - Tout sur Université Euromed de Fès", "Daoudi autorise une première université privée à Fès", "Université Privée de Fès – 1ère Université Privée à Fès Reconnue par l'Etat", "Tourism in Fez-Meknes grows on the strength of religious and wellness visitors", "العلاقات التي تربط مدينة أريحا بالمدن الأجنبية", "Place Lalla Yeddouna A Neighborhood in the Medina of Fez, Morocco: International open project competition in two phases", École nationale des sciences appliquées de Fès, Mosque of the Kasbah an-Nouar (or Kasbah Filala Mosque), Slat al Fassiyin Synagogue (el-Fassiyine Synagogue), Madrasa Fes el-Jdid (Madrasa Dar al-Makhzen), Madrasa Muhammadiyya (Madrasa Mohammadia), Funduq Staouniyyin (Foundouk Staouniyine), Place Bou Jeloud (Place Pacha el-Baghdadi), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fez,_Morocco&oldid=1001779670, Populated places established in the 8th century, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles with dead external links from December 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 14187 residents live in the center, called, 3509 residents live in the center, called, This page was last edited on 21 January 2021, at 08:32. [29] Although the capital was moved to Marrakesh under the Almoravids, Fez acquired a reputation for Maliki legal scholarship and remained an important centre of trade and industry. [80] A new terminal was added to the airport in 2017 which expanded the airport's capacity to 2.5 million visitors a year. Austerity measures led to several riots and uprisings across other cities during the 1980s. It is also a major tourism destination due to its historical heritage. [19][31] Within this new corridor, between the two cities, were built new gardens and summer palaces used by the royals and the capital's high society, such as the Jnan Sbil Gardens and the Dar Batha palace. Ziri ibn Atiyya, the first ruler of the new dynasty, had a troubled reign. [111] Construction of the new city's gates and towers sometimes employed the labour of Christian prisoners of war. [29] Perhaps as a result of persistent tensions with the city's inhabitants, the Saadians built a number of new forts and bastions around the city which appear to have been aimed at keeping control over the local population. The latter would flee to Portugal where he asked king Sebastian of Portugal for help to regain his throne. [101] The Zawiya of Moulay Idriss II (previously mentioned) and the Zawiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani include mosque areas as well, as do several other prominent zawiyas in the city. It wasn't until 1070 that the two agglomerations were united and the name Fas was used for the combined site. [13] Numerous palaces and riads are now utilized as hotels for the tourism industry. The medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is believed to be one of the world's largest urban pedestrian zones (car-free areas). The Occidental Fès Medina hotel has been created as a haven of peace in the heart of the Medina. By clicking Agree you are accepting Terms of Service. [22][19] Comparatively little is known about Idrisid Fez, owing to the lack of comprehensive historical narratives and that little has survived of the architecture and infrastructure of early Fez. One noticeable thing was that the pickaxe was made from silver and gold. The Jews were especially concentrated in a northeastern district of Al-'Aliya known as Funduq el-Yihoudi (near the later Bab Guissa). The city grew quickly and by the late 900s, it had about 100,000 inhabitants. [109] City walls were placed into the current positions during the 11th century, under the Almoravid rule. [12] The Alaouites continued to rebuild or restore various monuments, as well as to expand the grounds of the Royal Palace a number of times. The hotel is 5 minutes from the train station and 20 minutes from Fez - Saïss International Airport. They are also provided with the use of a Moroccan cell phone during their stay. [12][13] The crafts industry continues to this day and is still focused in the old city. Fes is also well known for its leather tanneries inside the medina. Located to the northeast of the Atlas Mountains, Fez is situated at a crossroad connecting the important cities of different regions; 206 km (128 mi) from Tangier to the northwest, 246 km (153 mi) from Casablanca, 189 km (117 mi) from Rabat to the west, and 387 km (240 mi) from Marrakesh to the southwest which leads to the Trans-Saharan trade route. [12] The oldest sections of the walls today thus date back to this time. North Africa, 1504-1799. [94] The largest madrasa in the medina is Cherratine Madrasa commissioned by the Alaouite sultan Al-Rashid in 1670, which is the only major non-Marinid foundation besides the Madrasa of al-Qarawiyyin. [109] Some of the main gates have existed, in different forms, since the earliest years of the city. [14]:377[74][75], Today Fez remains a regional capital and one of Morocco's most important cities. [70] In 1963 the University of Al-Qarawiyyin was reorganized as a state university,[71] while a new public university, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, was founded in 1975 in the Ville Nouvelle. Sefrou is located at the edge of the Middle Atlas mountain range, and is 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Fez. This resulted in the arrest of nationalist leaders followed by the violent suppression of protests across many cities, including Fez. Under Almohad rule the city grew to become one of the largest in the world between 1170 and 1180, with an estimated 200,000 people living there. Rainfall can reach up to 800 mm (31 in) in good years. One immediate consequence was the 1912 riots in Fez, a popular uprising which included deadly attacks targeting Europeans as well as native Jewish inhabitants in the Mellah, followed by an even deadlier repression. [31] Moulay Rashid set about restoring the city after a long period of neglect. The watermarks do not show up on the actual postcard. Today it is part of the Archdiocese of Rabat, and it was most recently restored in 2005. Today, the city consists of two old medina quarters, Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, and the much larger modern urban Ville Nouvelle area founded during the French colonial era. [12] The oldest gates today, and historically the most important ones of the city, are Bab Mahrouk (in the west), Bab Guissa (in the northeast), and Bab Ftouh (in the southeast). Fez was founded under Idrisid rule during the 8th-9th centuries CE. All Rights Reserved. The events began with a strike called to demand an increase to minimum wage and other measures. [17]:244 The order spread quickly among the literary elite of North West Africa and its ulama had significant religious, intellectual, and political influence in Fez and beyond. [citation needed], In the 10th century, the city was contested by the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba and the Fatimid Caliphate of Ifriqiya (Tunisia), who ruled the city through a host of Zenata clients. In the meanwhile, the Ottoman Empire came close to Fez after the conquest of Algeria in the 16th century. Medina of Fez is open: Tue - Wed 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM. [70][67]:255, After Morocco regained its independence in 1956 many of the trends begun under colonial rule continued and accelerated during the second half of the 20th century. [130][131] Though their architecture can be very functional, some of them, like the Hammam as-Saffarin and the Hammam al-Mokhfiya, have notable decoration. [114][115] The Saadis also built a number of strong bastions in the late 16th century to assert their control over Fez, including notably the Borj Nord which is among the largest strictly military structures in the city and now refurbished as a military museum. [12] One of the most famous is the Funduq al-Najjariyyin, which was built in the 18th century by Amin Adiyil to provide accommodation and storage for merchants and which now houses the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts. Sultan Moulay Abdallah, who reigned intermittently during this period and used Fez as a capital, was initially welcomed in 1728–29 as an enemy of the Udayas, but relations between him and the city's population quickly soured due to his choice of governor. [12][14], Arab emigration to Fez increased afterwards, including Andalusi families of mixed Arab and Iberian descent[15] who were expelled from Córdoba in 817–818 after a rebellion against the Al-Hakam I[12]:46[16] as well as Arab families banned from Kairouan (modern Tunisia) after another rebellion in 824. [31][55], After the long and impressive reign of Ahmad al-Mansur, the Saadian state fell into civil war between his sons and potential successors.