Fes Craft & History Deep Dive

• Historical
• Cultural
• Heritage
• Architecture
• Religious

This self-guided tour connects power, scholarship, craftsmanship and the continuity of tradition in Fes, through all of the city's places open to visitors. In Fes Jdid, the monumental gates of the Royal Palace, which is closed to visitors, are admired from Alaouite Square; the neighboring historic Mellah and Bab Semmarine extend the visit. Between Fes Jdid and Fes el-Bali, Jnan Sbil Garden (open Tuesday to Sunday) and the Al Batha Museum (closed on Tuesdays), a museum of Islamic arts in a former palace, form a green transition. Bab Bou Jeloud opens onto the medina of Fes el-Bali, remarkably dense and alive. Inside are the Bou Inania and Al Attarine madrasas, Marinid masterpieces, Al Quaraouiyine Mosque, glimpsed through its doorways, the Nejjarine complex (fondouk, fountain and Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts), Seffarine Square, where craftsmanship can be heard as much as seen, and the Chouara Tannery, viewed from nearby terraces, preferably in the morning. On the heights, Borj Nord, home to an arms museum, and the Marinid Tombs offer one of the clearest panoramas over Fes el-Bali. The duration shown adds up visits and travel: spread the tour over several days. A petit taxi, or a walk of about twenty minutes, links the Royal Palace to Bab Bou Jeloud; inside the medina, everything is on foot. Opening hours are shown in the app: check them before you set off.