Luxury Fez Holidays

Magical and fascinating, the one-time capital of Morocco and the oldest of its imperial cities, Fez is one of the best-preserved medieval Islamic cities in the world. Its vast old medina, Fez el Bali, is filled with outstanding Islamic architecture and artistry, its 9th century university and mosque houses the world’s oldest library, and the local gastronomy is highly acclaimed.

Together with Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech, Fez (Fes) is one of Morocco’s four imperial cities and regarded as the cultural and spiritual heartland of Morocco as for centuries the city has attracted intellectuals, poets and musicians in large numbers.

The city is divided into three areas; historic Fez el Bali (Old Fez) founded in the 8th century by Moulay Idriss II is set within the ancient city walls; the 13th century Fez el Jdid (New Fez) built by the Merenid sultans just outside the city walls and containing the Royal Palace and the Jewish quarter; the modern city, Ville Nouvelle, complete with wide, tree-lined avenues filled with shops, cafés and restaurants, was created by the French during the 20th century.

An atmospheric city with a rich and vibrant history it boasts the oldest tannery in the world in the Choura quarter, the oldest higher education institution in the world, the 9th century Kairaouine University, and, as well as Fez el Bali laying claim to being the largest car-free urban zone in the world, it is also the oldest and largest medina in Morocco.

Medina & souks

Enclosed within the ancient city walls, the sprawling Fez el Bali medina may be an historical, UNESCO-listed site but it’s also a living, thriving city and home to skilled craftsmen and artisans and a good number of the city’s population, going about their daily lives in a style that has existed for more than a 1,000 years.

As well as private residences, traditional riads-turned-hotels, mosques, madrasas, beautiful fountains and lively squares there’s a multitude of vibrant souks within this complex labyrinthine maze of more than 9,000 alleyways, all of which creates an intoxicating atmosphere with its cacophony of sounds and bustle of the crowds.

There’s the heady scents and aromas of the spice and perfume market, Souk el Attarine, the brightly coloured swathes of cotton and wool hanging out to dry at the dyer’s souk, Souk de Teinturiers, and the unique tanneries with its vats of dyes offering a remarkable sight (and smell). The area is completely free of cars, and donkeys are used for carting goods, along what sometimes seems like impossibly narrow alleys.

Cuisine & cookery courses

Fassi cuisine is refined, diverse and heavily influenced by the culinary legacy of the Arabs, Moors, Ottoman Turks and the French, resulting in an exotic blend of flavours; B’stilla, a flaky pastry pie filled with pigeon and almonds and flavoured with aromatic saffron, cinnamon and coriander is one of the highlights.

Dining establishments range from simple street food stalls and family-run courtyard eateries serving fabulous home cooking to fine dining restaurants with seasonally inspired gourmet tasting menus.

Our featured hotel Palais Amani offers a variety of hands-on cooking workshops, from a 2 hour class taught by the chef, to bread making and 4 hour classes starting with a visit to the souk to shop for fresh produce, then hands-on cooking under the guidance of the chef and finally tucking into your dish under the citrus trees in the riad’s tranquil courtyard. Please contact Classic concierge for details.

Sightseeing

Kairaouine Mosque & University

Founded in the 9th century the Kairaouine University is the oldest known university in the world, and the mosque one of Africa’s largest, accommodating up to 20,000 worshippers. Although non-Muslims may not enter the mosque its gates allow a glimpse of its interior courtyard and ornate doorways.

Choura Tannery

The 11th century Choura Tannery offers one of the city’s most iconic sights, with its numerous dried-earth vats filled with dyes and liquids ready for hides to be treated and dyed using century-old processes.

Royal Palace

Although not open to visitors the Royal Palace has the most beautiful exterior with seven magnificent bronze gates surrounded by magnificent zellige tilework and carved cedar wood.

Dar Batha Museum

A former palace set around an Andalusian style garden in the Medina, Dar Batha houses a collection of traditional Moroccan artefacts including woodcarvings, tiles, embroidery, carpets and ceramics.

Medersa Bou Inania

Set over two floors and dating back to the 14th century, this beautifully restored former theological college features splendid mosaics, cedar lattice screens, carved plasterwork, zellige tiles, intricate hand-carved woodwork and a tranquil courtyard with fountain.

Medina & ramparts

Encircled by the city’s ancient, 8km long ramparts, Fez el Bali medina is a vast, truly wonderous place; exciting, intoxicating, slightly bewildering and completely fascinating. Hiring an official guide is a good option for first-time visitors.

Volubilis & Meknes

The Roman city of Volubilis with its incredibly well-preserved mosaics is an easy day trip from Fez; add a visit to the holy city of Moulay Idriss and the UNESCO-listed imperial city of Meknes as well on a guided tour.

Borj Nord

Built by the powerful Sultan Ahmad al-Mansour in the 16th century to keep an eye on his subjects, the Borj Nord fortress affords outstanding views over the old medina, and also houses a smallmuseum dedicated to Morocco’s military history.