Fez, an ancient capital of Morocco and one of the four imperial capitals of the country, is still considered a cultural capital.
It was founded in the 8th century when the Idrisid dynasty decided to move its capital here from Walili, or Volubilis.
For centuries, Fez has been the most important city in the whole region. The French decided to move the administrative center to Rabat in 1912, and after half a century, Rabat became the official capital. However, Fez continues to attract visitors and pilgrims regardless.
Check my guide to learn more, including the history of the city!
1.Chouara Tannery
Chouara Tannery is probably the most famous spot in Fez!
It’s the ancient and still-operating tannery where you can learn about the traditional ways of treating leather in different liquors to remove unwanted parts, make it softer and cleaner, and dye it. All the processes take place in large stone vessels.
The tannery is surrounded by taller buildings, and you can witness the process from them. As I understand, you can even ask to walk among the tanners, but I presume it’s going to be super smelly: the ammonia-filled liquids stink even when you’re on the rooftop, not to mention the tannery itself! To overcome this aroma, visitors are provided with fresh mint stalks.
We were accompanied by a guide and accessed the roof with his help via a leather shop. You can also buy leather goods there, such as bags and coats.
2.Al-Attarine Madrasa
Al-Attarine Madrasa is another unmissable spot in the Medina of Fez. This educational institute is named after Souk al-Attarine, the spice and perfume market where it’s located.
The madrasa dates back to the 14th century when it was established by an order of Abu Sa’id Uthman II from the Marinid dynasty and is part of the intellectual heritage of Fez.
Admire the lavish decorations of the inner courtyard and the prayer hall with mihrab, and learn about the life of the students when you come to the upper floors!
3.Souks of Fez
The souk in Fez, divided into two main parts, dates back 12 centuries.
It has numerous different zones with spices, henna, fresh vegetables and fruits, leather products, perfume, clothes, and many more.
Kiseria Al Kifah is the oldest part of it; it’s located close to the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II.
There are also a few areas of the city that are painted in rainbow colors to attract visitors as well.
If you decide to try cactus fruits – there are many vendors of this local delicacy here – be careful not to stain your fingers or clothes with the cactus juice, as it leaves bright fuchsia stains!
4.Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II
The Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II, or the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II, is the main religious landmark of the city (zawiya is a special name for an Islamic shrine): the holy tomb of Idris II is located there. Important: Non-Muslims cannot enter it, but our guide kindly took some photos for me (you see them below).
Idris II was a sultan and the son of Idris I, who founded the Idrisid dynasty (788–974) and was also a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He was the one who promoted Islam as the main religious system of the area.
Idris II was also the person who created the city of Fez for the second time: his father established a small settlement here, and Idris II chose a slightly different spot for it, moved the capital here from Walili (Volubilis), and redeveloped it into a large and important city. The pilgrimage to his tomb in Fez started in the 15th century after his burial was rediscovered. You can also spot the mausoleum from the rooftops around the city; you can recognise it by its pyramidal roof with green tiles.
Nearby, there’s also a spot where you can make a wish and throw a coin into a hole to make it come true!
5.Université Al-Karaouine
Another spot you can see only from the outside is the world-famous mosque and university of Al-Karaouine.
Also spelled as Quaraouiyine mosque, it’s believed to be the oldest multi-disciplinary and still-operating educational institution in the whole world! It was founded in 859 by Fatima Al-Fihria, a woman from Kairouan (which is located in today’s Tunisia and is famous for its mosque, mausoleum of the Barber, and bassins – I happened to visit it as well). Over time, it became an important symbol of learning with ties to many scholars: philosophers, historians, and mystics.
Although only Muslims can enter it, you can admire its white minaret and wonderful outer ornaments.
6.Zawiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani
Another important religious site is the Zawiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani, an Islamic shrine dedicated to the founder of the Tijjani order (under the Sufi order) in the 18th century.
You can’t visit it if you’re not a Muslim. However, it attracts visitors of all confessions with its extremely ornate facade and turquoise minaret.
7.Marinid Tombs
Just to the north of Fez, you can find the enormous ruins of the Marinid Tombs: this is the royal burial site of Marinid sultans who ruled Morocco in the 13th-15th centuries.
As you can see, large scaffolding is surrounding the necropolis at the moment, and restorations are ongoing: the place is temporarily closed for visitors, and you can explore the mausoleums only from the outside. Another Marinid necropolis is located in the Chellah citadel in Rabat; check my guide on it as well.
8.Royal Palace
The majestic royal palace of Fez, with its golden doors and tiled gateways, is located not far away.
Unfortunately, visitors can see it only from the outside, specifically from Place des Alaouites. Known as Dar al-Makhzen, the first palace on this site dates to the 13th century during the Marinid rule, but the majority of the buildings date to the 17th century and onwards.
Although the official residence of the King has been moved to Rabat since it’s the administrative center and capital of the 20th century, the King of Morocco still sometimes returns to this palace in Fez.
9.Mellah and Aben Danan Synagogue
The Royal Palace is located in the Mellah, the former Jewish quarter. You can clearly see that the architecture is different here: the streets are wider, and the houses have balconies. As the majority of Jews moved elsewhere in the middle of the 20th century, this quarter is now mainly inhabited by locals.
In the Mellah, you can also visit the Aben Danan Synagogue, originally dating to the 17th century and restored in 1999. Apart from beautiful decorations, it has a precious Torah, a bath for ceremonial cleansing, and other objects on display, as well as rare photos of old Fez.
There’s also another synagogue there, the Al Fassiyine, but we didn’t manage to visit it.
10.Jewish Cemetery
The Jewish Cemetery is one of the main visiting sites in the Jewish quarter. It was established a few centuries ago and has recently been repainted and renovated.
Originally, the cemetery was established in a different place, but it was forcefully relocated because Sultan Moulay Hassan I wanted to enlarge his palace, so the burials were moved here in 1884. The most visited burials include Rabbi Yehuda Ben Atar and a young girl, Sol Hachuel.
11.Borj Nord
Come to see the scenery from the Borj Nord, the northern fort of the city that overlooks the whole city, providing probably the best views of Fez.
The fort was established in the 16th century and now houses the Museum of Arms. What an epic view of the old city of Fez surrounded by a city wall; it looks straight out of ancient fairy tales!
12.Borj Sud
The Borj Sud is the southern fort established in the 16th century, a sibling to the fort in the north.
Originally, military commanders tried to copy the Portuguese defensive system, and that’s how the forts and bastions around Fez emerged. Now it’s used as a spot for scenic observation. The views of old Fez are amazing from here as well!
13.Palace Mnebhi
Walking around the streets of Medina, we accidentally discovered another gorgeous spot: Palace Mnebhi, dating to the early 20th century, belonged to Mehdi Mnebhi, Minister of Defense of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz.
Under the French protectorate, it was used by Resident-General Marshal Lyautey in 1912. Now it’s beautifully restored and mainly used as a restaurant and event venue, but you can visit it if you tip the guard at the entrance and see the panoramic view of the old city from the terrace.
14.Bab Boujloud
Bab Boujloud, or the Blue Gate, is one of the main photo attractions of the old city of Fez. Actually, it has blue tiles only from one side – on the other side, there are greenish tiles!
The original gate dates to the 12th century, but the current majestic gate, decorated with traditional tiles, was commissioned by the French at the beginning of the 20th century and quickly became a landmark. Right behind it starts the other part of the souk of the Medina, where you can find live animals and fresh meat.
This part of Fez souk is frequently referred as Boujloud souk, nodding to its locating by the Blue Gate.
15.Dar Batha Museum
Dar Batha Museum of Islamic Arts is located in the former royal palace erected in the 19th century. The building, with its riads, fountains, and garden, is magnificent!
The museum has just recently reopened after a massive restoration in February 2025 and is really well-made, with all inscriptions available in French and English and vast information provided to visitors about every object and section in general.
Placed in the palace halls, the exhibits naturally blend into the environment very smoothly. There are numerous aspects of Islamic art and culture that can be explored here, ranging from almost 10 centuries back to more modern times.
Art techniques, including tiles, wood carving, pottery, musical instruments, jewelry, arms, calligraphy, ancient navigation, exploration of the world, and real-life kids’ toys – you can find everything here.
16.Rainbow Street
Proceed to the most Instagrammable street in Fez: Rainbow Street, or Rue Talaa Sghira! If you’re lucky, you can see the floor painted in different colors, but unfortunately, during our visit, it had not been renovated for some time.
We were told that they put on a new coat of paint just once a year. As you see, it’s all covered with pieces of art for sale and is truly a picturesque and vibrant spot.
17.Nejjarine Museum
Nejjarine Museum is the museum of Moroccan Arts & Crafts housed in a historic fondouk dating to the early 18th century and was formerly a police office. It has a collection of tools and materials traditionally used in Moroccan culture: you can explore a large collection of different types of wood, traditional tiling, boxes, chests, shelves, carpenters’ tools, and so on.
18.Jnan Sbil Gardens
A quick stop at the largest public park in Fez, Jardin Jnane Sbile, is a must! We’ve been told that unfortunately, it hasn’t properly rained for around six years, so this park isn’t as green as it could be, but still, it’s a very nice shady place with fountains, bamboo, and palms.
The garden was created for the royals but later was opened to the public. There are also a few shelters for geese, peacocks, guinea pigs, and bred pigeons.
19.Bou Inania Madrasa
The historic Bou Inania Madrasa, dating to the 14th century, is located far from the Blue Gate. You can see its beautiful turquoise minaret while walking through it and looking onto the old city. Sadly, we didn’t manage to visit it – check the opening times in advance.
20.Learning about Local Crafts
If you’d like to learn about local arts and crafts in more detail, there are numerous places where you can learn firsthand how things are made here in Morocco! But be aware that after showing you some skills, people are most likely to push you to buy, albeit less aggressively. Some of the products in such places are overpriced, and you have to bargain for better prices, but still, it can be quite educational.
Outside the old city of Fez, there are a few places, such as Art d’Argile, with pottery and ceramics workshops where you can witness the whole process of tableware and tile-making from the very first step of choosing the right clay to the painting and then preparing the final product in the oven by baking.
And, for instance, in a traditional Berber pharmacy, we were shown how the argan oil – liquid gold of Morocco – is traditionally extracted from the nuts. Did you know that argan nuts/fruits are collected after being digested by goats who climb the argan trees?
Eventually, in the atelier of embroidery (Atelier de Broderie et de Tissage), we saw how the colourful fabrics are produced from agave and cotton and how the traditional embroidery looks like.
Where to Stay: Riad Fez
Let me put this simply: Riad Fez is considered the best luxury property in Fez among riads.
It astonishes with its splendor: when you arrive, your bags are taken in a trolley by a man from the riad, who rolls them along the dusty streets of the old Medina until it accidentally rushes into a hole in the wall, and you find yourself in a magical world of glittering lanterns, fresh flowers, and splashing water.
The interiors are truly amazing, and the rooms have an enchanting vibe of an old fairy tale with only the necessary furniture but with intricate tiles whenever possible.
Every bathroom contains a set of Rassoul clay and black soap for a hammam-like experience. I actually tried both before in Gozo, Malta, and I loved it.
To be honest, during all the days we stayed there, we mostly had lunches and dinners in our riad too because they have an amazing Moroccan menu with local dishes as well as a selection of Western dishes.
Besides that, they have a very lovely rooftop bar you can access without prior booking – the view over Fez are great especially at night!
However, I must note that our stay wasn’t as smooth as planned: just one day before our arrival, I learned that the riad didn’t book us on the right dates. Instead of the two prepaid rooms we had in our initial booking, they provided us with just one (which is an unusual situation for a 5-star hotel and a member of Relais & Châteaux).
However, apart from this episode, our stay was great.
Read more blogs about Morocco!
Hope you liked my blog,
Yours,
Anna xxx
