Country Morocco | Region Fes-Boulemane Founded Idrisid dynasty Mayor Hamid Chabat | |
Colleges and Universities Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, University of al-Qarawiyyin Points of interest Bou Inania Madrasa, Ibn Danan Synagogue, Dar el Makhzen | ||
Fes or Fez (Arabic: ?, Moroccan Arabic , Berber: ??? Fas) is the second largest city of Morocco, with a population of 1.1 million (2014).
Contents
- Map of Fes
- Riad tizwa fes beautiful place to stay
- History
- Main sights
- Persona 3 fes part 64 food
- Food network new york city festival highlights 2013
- References
Map of Fes
Fes was the capital of Morocco until 1925, and is now the capital of the Fes-Boulemane administrative region. The modern Turkish name for Morocco, Fas, originally referred only to the capital city.
Riad tizwa fes beautiful place to stay
The city has two old medinas, the larger of which is Fes el Bali. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is believed to be one of the worlds largest car-free urban areas. Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in AD 859, is the oldest continuously functioning madrasa in the world. The city has been called the "Mecca of the West" and the "Athens of Africa".
History
The name is probably taken from the word Fazaz, the old Berber name for the Middle Atlas mountains near the city. The name is also attested as that of a Berber tribe living south of Fes. Today, Ait Fazaz is the name of a small town just west of Meknes.
Until the Almoravid rule in the 11th century, Fez consisted of two cities or medinas: Madinat Fas and Al-Aliya, the former being founded by Idris I, the latter by his son, Idris II. During Idrisid rule the capital city was known as Al-Aliya, with the name Fas being reserved for the separate site on the other side of the river: No Idrisid coins have been found with the name Fes, only al-Aliya and al-Aliya Madinat Idris. It is not known whether the name al-Aliya was ever referred to both medinas. It wasnt until 1070 that the two agglomerations were united and the name Fas was used for the sites.
Main sights
Fez is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination and many non-Moroccans are now restoring traditional houses (riads and dars) as second homes in the Fez medina. The most important monuments in the city are: