Meknes is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became the capital of Morocco during the reign of Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif (1672–1727), son of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty. Sultan Ismail created a massive imperial palace complex and endowed the city with extensive fortifications and monumental gates. The city recorded a population of 632,079 in the 2014 Moroccan census. It is the seat of Meknès Prefecture and an important economic hub in the region of Fès-Meknès.
A caravanserai was a roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe, most notably the Silk Road. Often located along rural roads in the countryside, urban versions of caravanserais were also historically common in cities throughout the Islamic world, and were often called other names such as khan, wikala, or funduq.
Moroccan architecture reflects Morocco's diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military conquest. This architectural heritage includes ancient Roman sites, historic Islamic architecture, local vernacular architecture, 20th-century French colonial architecture, and modern architecture.
Fes el Bali is the oldest walled part of Fez, the second largest city of Morocco. Fes el Bali was founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. UNESCO listed Fes el Bali, along with Fes Jdid, as a World Heritage Site in 1981 under the name Medina of Fez. The World Heritage Site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls as well as a buffer zone outside of the walls that is intended to preserve the visual integrity of the location. Fes el Bali is, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created Ville Nouvelle or “New Town”, one of the three main districts in Fez.
Fez or Fes is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 million, according to the 2014 census. Located to the northwest of the Atlas Mountains, it is surrounded by hills and the old city is centered around the Fez River flowing from west to east. Fez has been called the "Mecca of the West" and the "Athens of Africa". It is also considered the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco.
Funduq al-Najjarin is a historic funduq in Fes el Bali, the old medina quarter in the city of Fez, Morocco.
Dar Batḥa, or Qasr al-Batḥa, is a former royal palace in the city of Fez, Morocco. The palace was commissioned by the Alaouite Sultan Hassan I in the late 19th century and finished under his successor Abdelaziz. It was converted into a museum of historical arts and crafts in 1915 with a collection that now comprises over 6,500 objects. The palace is located near Bab Bou Jeloud at the western edge of Fes el-Bali, the old medina quarter of the city, and close to Fes el-Jdid, the new medina quarter. It is adjacent to the Dar el-Beida palace located to its southeast, which was originally part of the same complex.
Sahrij Madrasa or Madrasa al-Sahrij is a madrasa in Fez, Morocco. The madrasa is located inside Fes el Bali, the old medina quarter of the city. The madrasa dates back to the 14th century during the golden age of Fez under Marinid rule. The madrasa is located near Al Andalus Mosque and is also connected to another, smaller, madrasa built at the same time, the Sba'iyyin Madrasa.
The architecture of Fez, Morocco, reflects the wider trends of Moroccan architecture dating from the city's foundation in the late 8th century and up to modern times. The old city (medina) of Fes, consisting of Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, is notable for being an exceptionally well-preserved medieval North African city and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A large number of historic monuments from different periods still exist in it today, including mosques, madrasas, synagogues, hammams (bathhouses), souqs (markets), funduqs (caravanserais), defensive walls, city gates, historic houses, and palaces.
Tala'a Kebira is one of the longest and most important streets in Fes el-Bali, the old city (medina) of Fes, Morocco. The street runs roughly east to west, starting near the Bab Bou Jeloud and Bab Mahrouk gates in the west and ending at the al-Attarine Madrasa in the east, near the Qarawiyyin Mosque. It constitutes one of the main souq streets in the old city and a number of important historic monuments are built along it.
The Dar al-Makina is a former arms factory in Fes, Morocco.
The Sba'iyyin Madrasa or Madrasa as-Sba'iyyin is a historic madrasa in the medina of Fes, Morocco. It is located in the Andalous quarter of Fes el-Bali, next to the al-Andalus Mosque. It was founded in 1323 by Abu al-Hassan and adjoins the larger Sahrij Madrasa, which was founded just before it. Together, the two madrasas served to teach and lodge students in the vicinity of the main mosque.
The Funduq al-Tetwaniyyin, also known as the Funduq al-Staouniyine, is a historic funduq (caravanserai) in Fes el-Bali, the old city of Fes, Morocco.
The Funduq al-Shamma'in or Foundouk Chemmaïne is a medieval funduq in Fes, Morocco. It is also directly adjoined by another funduq structure, the Funduq al-Sbitriyyin; as a result, the two form a combined architectural complex sometimes referred to as the Funduq Shamma'in-Sbitriyyin. Both are located side by side just west of the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in the heart of the historic medina, Fes el-Bali.
Dar Adiyel or Dar 'Adiyil is a historic mansion in Fes el-Bali, the old medina of Fes, Morocco. It is located in the Zqaq el-Bghal neighbourhood, a short distance south from Tala'a Seghira street.
Funduq Sagha is a historic funduq in Fes el Bali, the old medina quarter in the city of Fez, Morocco.
Place Seffarine or Seffarine Square is a small square in the medina of Fes, Morocco. It is located on the south side of the Qarawiyyin Mosque, close to the Bou Khrareb River which runs through the heart of the medina. The square dates back to the Middle Ages but has also undergone renovations in modern times. It is adjoined by the Qarawiyyin's library to the northwest, by the Saffarin Madrasa to the east, and by the Saffarin Hammam (bathhouse) to the southwest. It is named after the coppersmiths who have had their workshops here for centuries.
The Kissariat al-Kifah or Kissaria (القيسارية) is the historic central bazaar of Fes el-Bali, the historic old city of Fez, Morocco. It is located between the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Qarawiyyin Mosque.
Hammam Ben Abbad or Hammam Ibn Abbad is a historic hammam (bathhouse) in the medina of Fes, Morocco. It is located in the Kettanin neighbourhood south of the Zawiya of Moulay Idris, near the Funduq Kettanin. The hammam dates from the 14th century and was recently restored during a major rehabilitation program involving over two dozen other historic monuments in the city. Its name comes from a local Muslim saint who is associated with the building, and the waters of the hammam were believed to have healing properties. Entered from the north, the hammam has the usual series of rooms inherited from the Roman bathhouse model: an undressing room, a cold room (frigidarium), warm room (tepidarium), and a hot room (calderium). The hammam was part of the habous (endowment) of the Qarawiyyin Mosque.
The History of Fez begins with its foundation by Idris I and Idris II at the end of the 8th century and the beginning of the 9th century CE. It initially consisted of two autonomous and competing settlements on opposing shores of what is now known as the Oued Fes. Initially inhabited by a largely Berber (Amazigh) population, successive waves of mainly Arab immigrants from Ifriqiya (Tunisia) and al-Andalus (Spain/Portugal) over time gave the nascent city an Arab character as well. After the downfall of the Idrisid dynasty, it was contested between different Zenata groups allied with either the Fatimid Caliphate or the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba. In the 11th century the Almoravid sultan Yusuf ibn Tashfin conquered the region and united its two settlements into what is today the Fes el-Bali quarter. Under the rule of the Almoravids and of the Almohads after them, despite losing the status of capital to Marrakesh, the city remained the economic and political center of northern Morocco and gained a reputation for religious scholarship and mercantile activity.
