Fez (Fes)

Fez (فـاس in Arabic) is a city lost in time. Here you will find cobblestone streets too small for motor vehicles and three distinct cities: Fes al-Bali (the old, walled city), Fes Djedid (the new Fes), and the French created Ville Nouvelle, the newest part of Fez. Fes al-Bali is the largest car-free zone in the entire world.

Traditional Muslim and Berber culture is alive in Fez and until 1912 was intermittantly the Capital of Morocco when under French control Rabat became the Capital (and remained so when Morocco became independant in 1956). Fes is best known for Fez hats and until the 19th century was the only place they were produced.

The third largest city in Morocco (behind Casablanca and Rabat), it is believed Fes was the largest city in the world between 1170 - 1180. While almost one million people live in Fes, the great emmigration in 1956 of Jews simply emptied the Jewish quarter of the city. Still, Fes remains a bustling city, stuck between the yesteryear of its heyday and the modern world which seeks to destroy this beautiful city.

One must see is the medina of Fez al-Bali which is an almost completely intact medieval city. The city medina (one of two in Fes) is built to human scale, with narrow streets which cannot be driven through. Like Venice, Fes is in danger of falling into the memory of the history books and efforts for reconstruction and restoration have been enacted.

Just a short drive south into the Atlas mountains of Morocco will take you from the warm climate of the Mediterranean to the cold and snowy region.