The City of Fès
The city of faith and of knowledge
3 Villes en 1, voisines et qui se touchent ... mais qui ne s’entremêlent pas ! Elle est la 2ème Ville du MAROC avec 1.100.000 habitants.
FEZ is 3 cities in one, next to each other... but which do not intermingle. :
- FEZ el Bali ’the old one", founded back in the VIIIth century.
- FEZ el Jedid, "the half-old one", dating back to the XIIIth century.
- FEZ "New city", a modern and busy metropolis.
FEZ is the second city in Morocco in terms of population... with over 1.100,000 inhabitants.
the view over Fez el Bali
From the Grave of the Merinides, at your feet, you can contemplate the most ancient city in Morocco, Fez el Bali, with a high number of Medersas, Fondouks, Mosques, Palaces, Mansions, Fountains, historical sites...every guide-book will list them.
In this exceptional city, surrounded by walls, founded in 809, 160,000 people live and still work, traders, of course, but also many craftsmen, even artists. It has always been a living and lively place, and remains so to this day.
Dans cette Médina entourée de remparts, 160.000 personnes vivent et travaillent, des commerçants mais aussi beaucoup d’artisans (voire des artistes). Elle a toujours été "bien vivante" depuis sa fondation en 809 et elle le reste.
It is the biggest medieval city, nearly unchanged for the last 1,000 years. No car is to be seen in its 10,000 derbs (lanes and cul-de-sacs), except close to the babs (gates), and in the souks goods and merchandise are still carried by donkeys. It is a spellbinding place.
C’est la plus grande cité médiévale inchangée depuis des siècles. Aucune voiture ne circule dans ses 10.000 derbs/ruelles et impasses (sauf à proximité des babs/entrées) et les marchandises sont toujours transportées dans les souks par les mules, c’est un lieu envoûtant.
Medina FES el Bali is a city of art, not a museum-city, it is teeming with life and craft .
Medina el Bali is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
For a week and or long week-end, take the "Time Machine", the plane, and come for an original journey... into the Middle Ages !
