Fes: The Timeless Heart of Morocco

Fes is not just a city - it's a living museum, a sacred rhythm, a world that remembers.

Fes, Morocco's oldest imperial city, holds the pulse of history in its winding alleys and sacred halls.

Founded in the 8th century by Idris I, it quickly became the spiritual, cultural, and intellectual heart of

the country - and in many ways, it still is.

The Medina of Fes el-Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the world's largest car-free

urban areas. Here, donkeys carry goods through narrow streets, the scent of leather drifts from the

ancient tanneries, and the call to prayer echoes from minarets built a thousand years ago.

At the heart of Fes lies the University of al-Qarawiyyin - the oldest existing and continually operating

educational institution in the world, founded by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri, in 859. It's a testament to

Fes's long legacy of learning and progress.

Artisans here work as their ancestors did: hammering copper, carving wood, weaving silk, and dying

leather by hand. Mosques, madrasas, and riads glow with zellige tiles and carved cedar, testifying to

the city's enduring beauty.

But Fes is not only about the past - it's a city alive with faith, festivals, music, and markets. To walk

through its Medina is to travel not just through space, but through time. Fes does not hurry. It invites

you to slow down, to listen, and to feel its ancient soul.