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Fez () or Fes (; ) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the northwest of the Atlas Mountains, it is surrounded by hills and the old city is centered around the Fez River (''Oued Fes'') 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.

Founded under Idrisid rule during the 8th century CE, Fez initially consisted of two autonomous and competing settlements. Successive waves of mainly Arab immigrants from Ifriqiya (Tunisia) and al-Andalus (Spain/Portugal) in the early 9th century gave the nascent city its Arab character. After the downfall of the Idrisid dynasty, other empires came and went until the 11th century when the Almoravid Sultan Yusuf ibn Tashfin united the two settlements into what is today's Fes el-Bali () quarter, Medina of Fez. Under Almoravid rule, the city gained a reputation for religious scholarship and mercantile activity.

Fez reached its zenith in the Marinid era (13th–15th centuries), regaining its status as political capital. Numerous new madrasas and mosques were constructed, many of which survive today, while other structures were restored. These buildings are counted among the hallmarks of Moorish and Moroccan architectural styles. In 1276 the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub also founded the royal administrative district of Fes Jdid (), where the Royal Palace (Dar al-Makhzen) is still located today, to which extensive gardens were later added. During this period the Jewish population of the city grew and the Mellah (Jewish quarter) was formed on the south side of this new district. After the overthrow of the Marinid dynasty, the growth of Fez stalled and the city subsequently competed with Marrakesh for political and cultural influence. It became the capital again under the 'Alawi dynasty up until 1912.

The city consists of two old medina quarters, Fes el-Bali and Fes Jdid, and the much larger modern urban area founded during the French colonial era. The Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world's largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones (car-free areas). It contains the University of al-Qarawiyyin which was founded in 857 and is the oldest continuously functioning institute of higher education in the world. It also contains the Chouara Tannery from the 11th century, one of the oldest tanneries in the world.

Etymology

The name of the city in Arabic is ''Fās'' (or in traditional Maghrebi script), from which the English names Fez, Fès, and Fas are derived. According to some traditions, the city's name comes from the Arabic word ''Faʾs'', meaning pickaxe. Various legends have been reported to explain this etymology. One tells the story of a gold pickaxe found on site during the city's construction, while another claims that Idris I used a silver and gold pickaxe to dig alongside his workers. Another account reported by Ibn Abi Zar claims that an ancient city named "Sef" had previously existed on the site and that Idris I reversed the letters of this name to create the name "Fes". It was also suggested that the name is a Znati form of "afas" meaning "ruins", as Fez may have been built on the ruins of an older city. A further hypothesis suggests that it comes from "Fazaz", which is the name of a nearby region, or from " (faẖs)" meaning "plain wide land".

During the rule of the Idrisid dynasty (788 to 974), Fez consisted of two cities: ''Fās'', founded by Idris I, and ''al-ʿĀliyá'', founded by his son, Idris II. During this period the capital city was known as ''al-ʿĀliyá'', with the name ''Fās'' being reserved for the separate site on the other side of the river. No Idrisid coins have been found with the name Fez, only ''al-ʿĀliyá'' and ''al-ʿĀliyá Madinat Idris''. It is not known whether the name ''al-ʿĀliyá'' ever referred to both urban areas. The two cities were united in 1070 and the name ''Fās'' was used for the combined site.

History

Foundation and the Idrisids

The city was first founded in 789 as ''Madinat Fas'' on the southeast bank of the Jawhar River (now known as the Fez River) by Idris I, founder of the Idrisid dynasty. Idris I was an Hasanid Sharif from Arabia who was forced to flee the Hejaz after a failed revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate, eventually moving to northern Morocco and conquering much of the area. His son, Idris II,"Fes". ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2007. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 3 March 2007 built a settlement called ''al-ʿĀliyá'' on the opposing river bank in 809 and moved his capital here from Walili (Volubilis). The early population was composed mostly of Berbers, along with hundreds of Arab warriors from Kairouan who made up Idris II's entourage.

Arab immigration to Fez increased afterwards. Andalusi families of mixed Arab and Iberian descent, who were expelled from Córdoba after a rebellion in 817–818 against al-Hakam I, were one major component of the immigrant population. These families mainly settled in ''Madinat Fas''. The immigrants from Kairouan and al-Andalus gave the city its Arabic character and would subsequently give their name to the districts of and . The city also had a prominent Jewish community, probably consisting of Zenata Berbers who had previously converted to Judaism, as well as a small remaining Christian population for a time. The Jews were especially concentrated in a northeastern district of ''al-ʿĀliyá'', known as ''Funduq el-Yihoudi'' (near the present-day Bab Guissa gate).

Following the death of Idris II in 828 the region was divided among his sons. The eldest, Muhammad, received Fez, but some of his brothers attempted to break away from his leadership, resulting in an internecine conflict. Although the Idrisid realm was eventually reunified and enjoyed a period of peace under Ali ibn Muhammad and Yahya ibn Muhammad, it fell into decline again in the late 9th century.

In the 10th century, the city was contested by the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba and the Fatimid Caliphate of Ifriqiya (Tunisia), who ruled the city through a host of Zenata clients. The Fatimids took the city in 927 and expelled the Idrisids definitively, after which their Miknasa (one of the Zenata tribes) were installed there. The city, along with much of northern Morocco, continued to change hands between the proxies of Córdoba and the proxies of the Fatimids for many decades. Following another successful invasion by Buluggin ibn Ziri in 979 and a brief period of Fatimid control, the forces of Al-Mansur of Cordoba managed to retake the region again, expelling the Fatimids permanently. From 980 (or from 986), Fez was ruled by a Zenata dynasty from the Maghrawa tribe, who were allies of the Caliphate of Córdoba. They maintained this control even after the Caliphate's collapse in the early 11th century and until the arrival of the Almoravids.

Fez continued to grow under Zenata control, even though conflicts between its two settlements, ''Madinat Fas'' and ''al-ʿĀliyá'', flared up during periods of political rivalry. Ziri ibn Atiyya, the first ruler of the new dynasty, had a troubled reign. However, Ibn Atiyya's descendant Dunas ibn Hamama, ruling between 1037 and 1049, was responsible for improving the city's infrastructure. He developed much of Fez's water supply system, which has largely survived up to the present day. Other structures built in his time included hammams (bathhouses), mosques, and the first bridges over the Oued Bou Khrareb (mostly rebuilt in later eras). The two cities became increasingly integrated: the open space between the two was filled up by new houses and up to six bridges across the river allowed for easier passage between them. A decade after Dunas, between 1059 and 1061, the two cities were ruled separately by two brothers who were rival Zenata emirs that fought with each other: ''al-ʿĀliyá'' was controlled by an emir named Al-Gisa and ''Madinat Fas'' was controlled by Al-Fetouh. Both brothers fortified their respective shores, and their names have been preserved in two of the city's gates to this day: Bab Guissa (or Bab Gisa) in the north and Bab Ftouh in the south.

Almoravids, Almohads and Marinids

In 1069–1070 (or possibly a few years later), Fez was conquered by the Almoravids under Yusuf ibn Tashfin. In the same year of this conquest, Yusuf ibn Tashfin unified ''Madinat Fas'' and ''al-ʿĀliyá'' into one city. The walls dividing them were destroyed, bridges connecting them were built or renovated, and a new circuit of walls was constructed that encompassed both cities. A ''kasbah'' (Arabic term for "citadel") was built at the western edge of the city (just west of Bab Bou Jeloud today) to house the city's governor and garrison. Although the capital was moved to Marrakesh under the Almoravids, Fez acquired a reputation for Maliki legal scholarship and remained an important centre of trade and industry. Almoravid impact on the city's structure was such that Yusuf ibn Tashfin is sometimes considered to be the second founder of Fez.

In 1145 the Almohad leader Abd al-Mu'min besieged and conquered the city during the Almohad overthrow of the Almoravids. Due to the ferocious resistance they encountered from the local population, the Almohads demolished the city's fortifications. However, due to Fez's continuing economic and military importance, the Almohad caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur ordered the reconstruction of the ramparts. The walls were completed by his successor Muhammad al-Nasir in 1204, giving them their definitive shape and establishing the perimeter of Fes el-Bali to this day. The Almohads built the Kasbah Bou Jeloud on the site of the former Almoravid kasbah and also built the first kasbah occupying the site of the current Kasbah an-Nouar. Not all the land within the city walls was densely inhabited; much of it was still relatively open and was occupied by crops and gardens used by the inhabitants. During the 12th century, the city was one of the largest in the world, with an estimated population of 200,000. By 1200, Fez and Cairo had probably become the largest Muslim cities.

In 1250, Fez regained its status as the capital under the Marinid dynasty. The city reached its golden age in the Marinid period. In 1276, an anti-Marinid revolt resulted in a massacre of the Jewish community that was stopped by the intervention of the ruler Abu Yusuf Ya'qub. Following the revolt, Abu Yusuf Yaqub founded Fes Jdid as the new administrative and military centre. Under the Marinids, many of the principal monuments in the medina were built and the city established its reputation as an important intellectual centre. Between 1271 and 1357 seven madrasas were built, which are among the best examples of Moroccan architecture and some of the most richly decorated monuments in Fez.

The Jewish quarter of Fez, the ''Mellah'', was created in Fes Jdid at some point during the Marinid period. The exact date and circumstances of its formation are not firmly established, but many scholars date the transfer of the Jewish population from Fes el-Bali to the new Mellah to the 15th century, a period of political tension and instability. In particular, Jewish sources describe the transfer as a consequence of the rediscovery of Idris II's body in the heart of the city in 1437, which caused the surrounding area—if not the entire city—to acquire a holy (''haram'') status, requiring that non-Muslims be removed from the area. The Moroccan Jewish community had initially consisted of indigenous local Jews (known as the ''Toshavim : بناء 13 قصبة لأغراض عسكرية">نفائس فاس العتيقة : بناء 13 قصبة لأغراض عسكرية
. ''Assabah''. Retrieved 11 January 2018. Among them is the Kasbah an-Nouar, the Kasbah Tamdert, and the Kasbah Cherarda. The Saadis also built a number of bastions and forts in the late 16th century including Borj Nord and its sister fort, Borj Sud.

Tanneries

Since the city's foundation, the tanning industry has been continually operating in Fez and is considered one of the main tourist attractions. There are three tanneries in the city, largest among them is Chouara Tannery near the Saffarin Madrasa along the river. The tanneries are packed with the round stone wells filled with dye or white liquids for softening the hides. The leather goods produced in the tanneries are exported around the world. The two other major tanneries are the Sidi Moussa Tannery to the west of the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Ain Azliten Tannery in the neighbourhood of the same name on the northern edge of Fes el-Bali.

Historic palaces and residences

Many old private residences have also survived to this day, in various states of conservation. The typical traditional house (''dar'') is centered around an internal courtyard. Some of these houses also had internal gardens known as a '' riad''. Such private houses include the Dar al-Alami, the Dar Saada (now a restaurant), Dar 'Adiyil, Dar Belghazi, and others. Larger and richer mansions, such as the Dar Mnebhi, Dar Moqri, and Jamai Palace, have also been preserved. Numerous traditional houses, popularly known as "riads", are now utilized as hotels for the tourism industry. The Jamai Palace was converted into a luxury hotel, known as ''Palais Jamaï'', in the early 20th century. The lavish former mansion of the Glaoui clan, known as the Dar Glaoui, is partly open to visitors but still privately owned.

As a former capital, the city contains several royal palaces as well. Dar Batha is a former palace completed by the 'Alawi Sultan Abdelaziz. In 1915 it was turned into a museum of historical art and artifacts, containing around 6,000 pieces. A large area of Fes Jdid is also taken up by the 80-hectare Royal Palace, or Dar al-Makhzen. Its ornate gates built in 1969–71 are the main feature visible to the public. Its grounds are not open to the public, as they are still used by the King of Morocco when visiting the city.

Gardens

The Jnan Sbil Garden, between Fes Jdid and Fes el-Bali, is the oldest surviving garden in Fez and was created as a royal park and garden in the 19th century by Sultan Moulay Hassan I. Many bourgeois and aristocratic mansions also had private gardens, especially in the southwestern part of Fes el-Bali. Other gardens also exist within the grounds of the historic royal palaces of the city, such as the Agdal and Lalla Mina Gardens in the Royal Palace or the gardens of the Dar el-Beida (originally attached to Dar Batha).

Funduqs (historic merchant buildings)

The old city of Fez includes more than a hundred ''funduq''s or ''foundouk''s (traditional inns, or urban caravanserais). These commercial buildings housed the workshops of artisans or provided lodging for merchants and travelers. They also frequently served as venues for other commercial activities such as markets and auctions. The Funduq al-Najjarin was built in the 18th century by Amin Adiyil to provide accommodation and storage for merchants and now houses the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts. Other major important examples include the Funduq Shamma'in (also spelled ''Foundouk Chemmaïne'') and the Funduq Staouniyyin (or Funduq of the Tetouanis), both dating from the Marinid era or earlier, and the Funduq Sagha which is contemporary with the Funduq al-Najjariyyin.

Hammams (bathhouses)

Fez has preserved many of its historic hammams (public bathhouses in the Muslim world) which continue to be used by local people. Examples, all dating from around the 14th century, include the Hammam as-Saffarin, the Hammam al-Mokhfiya, and the Hammam Ben Abbad. They were generally built next to a well or natural spring which provided water, while the sloping topography of the city allowed for easy drainage. The layout of the traditional hammam in the region was inherited from the Roman bathhouse model, consisting of a changing room, a cold room, a warm room, and a hot room. Though their architecture can be very functional, some of them, like the Hammam as-Saffarin and the Hammam al-Mokhfiya, feature more decoration. The hammams are identifiable from the exterior by the domes and vaults above their main chambers.

''Ville Nouvelle''

The ''Ville Nouvelle'' is centered around Avenue Hassan II, a wide street laid out by the French colonial administration after 1912 and known then as ''Avenue de France''. A tree-lined park area runs along its middle between the lanes for car traffic. At the avenue's northeastern end is ''Place de la Résistance'' (originally called Place Gambetta), a large roundabout with a fountain at its center. Further south along the same avenue is Place Florence (originally Place Lyautey), a wide plaza planted with trees and originally designed as a public garden. At the southwest end of the avenue is Place Ahmed El Mansour (originally Place Galliéni).

During the colonial period the main public buildings of the city were erected along and around this main avenue. Buildings from this period were constructed in a mix of ''mauresque'' (Moorish Revival architecture, neo-Moorish or Moroccan architecture, Moroccan), Art Deco, and Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical styles. On the south side of Place Florence is the Bank Al-Maghrib, Bank al-Maghrib building, built between 1928 and 1931 by architect René Canu. Nearby, on the east side of Avenue Hassan II, is the Central Post Office building. The first post office here was built in 1925 and 1927 by architect Edmond Pauty, but it was rebuilt and expanded in its current form by architect Emile Toulon in 1946–1947. The Appellate court, Court of Appeals building, located southwest of the post office, was constructed in 1934–1936 by architects Adrien Laforgue and Antoine Marchisio and it originally housed the Court of First Instance (''Tribunal d'instance, Tribunal de première instance'').

Culture

Fez is considered the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco. It is often called the "Mecca of the West" and the "Athens of Africa."

Literature

Up until the 19th century, the al-Qarawiyyin dominated the intellectual life of the city and of the country around it. Literature was focused on religious scholarship, philosophy, and poetry. The city's largest library was located at the Qarawiyyin Mosque, while others were attached to other major mosques. Under Sultan Abd al-Rahman of Morocco, Abd al-Rahman () a new library was created inside the Royal Palace and later in the 19th century the city's wealthy elites began creating their own privates libraries.

The city is also one of the historical centers of Moroccan Sufism and a significant body of written works were devoted to its many Sufi ''wali''s ("saints" or teachers). This type of literature established itself as one of the main literary genres of Morocco by the late 14th century and Sufi written works from Fez are especially abundant from the 17th to 20th centuries. A study by Ruggero Vimercati (family), Vimercati Sanseverino describes the rise of the ''Zawiya al-Fasiyya,'' a Sufi order founded in 1581 by Abu l-Mahasin Yusuf al-Fasi, as the impetus for the development of a tradition of Sufi literature particular to Fez. This literature was a diverse mix of Hagiography, hagiographies (religious Biography, biographies), Genealogy, genealogies, and Historiography, historiographies whose conventions evolved over time. Writers sought to establish a continuity between the teachings of contemporary Sufi masters and those that came before them, with the city of Fez portrayed as the center of this spiritual heritage.

Towards the beginning of the 20th century Moroccan literature began to diversify, with polemic or political works becoming more common at this time. For example, there were Muhammad Bin Abdul-Kabir Al-Kattani's anti-colonial periodical ''at-Tā'ūn'' (الطاعون The Plague), and his uncle Muhammad ibn Jaqfar al-Kattani's popular ''Nasihat ahl al-Islam'' ("Advice to the People of Islam"), published in Fez in 1908, both of which called on Moroccans to unite against European encroachment.

Fez, along with Cordoba, was one of the centers of a Jewish intellectual and cultural renaissance that took place in the 10th and 11th centuries in Morocco and al-Andalus. Jewish literary figures associated with Fez include the poet Dunash ben Labrat, Dunash Ben Labrat (d. ), the grammarian Judah ben David Hayyuj (d. ), the Talmudist Isaac Alfasi, Isaac al-Fasi (d. 1103), and the scholar Joseph ben Judah ibn Aknin (d. ), who were all born in Fez or spent time there. Maimonides (d. 1204), one of the most important Jewish intellectuals of his era, also lived in Fez from 1159 to 1165 after fleeing al-Andalus. The first book Printing, printed on the African continent was printed in Fez. A copy of ''David Abudirham, Sefer Abudarham'' () was printed in Hebrew language, Hebrew in 1516 by Samuel ben Isaac Nedivot and his son, who were Jewish refugees from Lisbon. The press was short-lived and printed 15 copies, one of which is now preserved at the Library of Congress.

Printing in Arabic was introduced to Morocco in 1864–65, on the initiative of a man named , an Islamic scholar and judge originally from the Sous region. In 1864 Ar-Rudani, while returning from his ''Hajj'' pilgrimage, bought an Arabic printing press in Cairo and contracted an Egyptian operator, bringing both back with him to Morocco. The press appears to have been confiscated by the Moroccan authorities when it arrived at port and sent to Meknes, where Sultan Muhammad IV of Morocco, Muhammad IV was residing at the time. The first book in Arabic was thus printed in Meknes in June 1865, before the press was moved again to Fez in that same year, where it continued to operate until the 1940s. The press was installed in a central neighbourhood of Fes el-Bali and was managed by the government, which printed traditional scholarly books and made some of the productions available to the Qarawiyyin University free of charge. After 1871 the government transferred management of the press to private citizens and the applications of printing widened. After 1897 it became a regulated industry overseen by officials in Fez. By 1908 there were at least four printing establishments in Fez, while two other Moroccan printers were in Tangier. Hebrew printing presses were reintroduced to Morocco in the 1890s in Tangier and were more firmly established across the country in the 1920s.

Arts

Maghrebi script, Maghrebi Arabic script is an important part of the history of visual art in Fes. While some aspects of Maghrebi script are codified and prescribed, there have also been innovations, such as those by the 19th century calligrapher Muhammad Bin Al-Qasim al-Qandusi, Muhammad al-Qandusi.

Fez remains the most important production center in Morocco for the art of ''zellij'' (traditional mosaic tilework) . workshops in other cities, such as Meknes, Salé and Marrakesh, usually follow or emulate the craftsmanship style of Fez.

The modernist artist Jilali Gharbaoui studied at the Académie des Arts (Fès), ''Académie des Arts'' in Fes.

Joseph Bouhsira was one of the earliest Moroccan photographers.Goldsworthy, Patricia Marie. “Colonial Negatives: The Prohibition and Commodification of Photography in Sharifian and French Morocco.” Ph.D., University of California, Irvine. Accessed 15 October 2024. https://www.proquest.com/docview/304853484/abstract/F79AF2DE4622473EPQ/1.

Music

Fes is associated with the () musical style, a result of a large migration of Muslims from Valencia to Fes. The Fessi ''āla'' style utilizes the Moroccan forms of the Andalusi nubah melodical arrangements. While this musical style is sometimes popularly referred to as Andalusi music, those who have studied it reject this naming: Mohamed El Fassi intentionally chose the name () to differentiate it from the Sufi tradition of Sama (Sufism), ''samā'', which is purely vocal, while , in his study of Mohammed al-Haik's (), described the appellation "Andalusi music" as an unprecedented colonial invention "meant to detract from [the musical form's] Arabness and [Moroccans'] intellectual and artistic abilities."

Cultural venues and institutions

The city's main museums are housed in historic monuments mentioned above, including the Nejjarine Museum, the Dar Batha Museum, and the Arms Museum in Borj Nord. The Al Houria Cultural Complex, opened in 2005, is a cultural center in the ''Ville Nouvelle'' that includes a theatre, a media library, and exhibition spaces. Several language institutes in Fez also organize cultural activities in addition to offering courses. The Institut Français, French Institute and the Instituto Cervantes, Cervantes Institute have branches in Fez which promote French and Spanish, respectively. The American Language Center and the Arabic Language Institute in Fez, sister organizations that share the same location in the ''Ville Nouvelle'', offer courses in English and Arabic, respectively.

Festivals

Fez hosts the annual World Sacred Music Festival, which started in 1994 and showcases religious music from around the world. The festival occurs in May or June and concerts take place at multiple venues across the city, including at historic sites such as Bab Makina (the New Mechouar) in Fes Jdid. The annual Festival of Amazigh Culture, which started in 2005, normally takes place in July and hosts performances from Amazigh (Berber) musicians and artists from across Morocco. The annual Festival of Sufi Culture hosts a conference with discussions and debates on Sufism as well as Sufi musical performances and rituals such as ''haḍra''s. The Festival of Malhoun Art features performances of ''malhun'' music and poetry from across the country.

Multiple Mawsim, moussems (Sufi religious festivals) have traditionally taken place every year in honour of local Muslim saints and are typically sponsored by one or more of the city's guilds. The most important moussem in the city, and one of the most important in Morocco, is the Moussem of Moulay Idris II. This festival has taken place for hundreds of years and is sponsored by all the guilds in the city, who march through the city together in a procession that culminates at the mausoleum of Idris II. Each guild donates gifts to the zawiya, one of which is a ''keswa'', a large textile decorated with Qur'anic verses that is draped over Idris II's catafalque. The week of the moussem is also marked by other cultural events and entertainment.

The Fez Running Festival is race that has taken place annually since 2022 with two competitions, one for kids and one for adults. It is organized by Abderrahime Bouramdane, a professional marathon runner who was born and raised in Fez. The festival sees thousands of participants every year who run a course that goes throughout the city.

Sport

Fez has two association football, football teams, MAS Fez (Fés Maghrebi) and Wydad de Fès (WAF). They both play in the Botola the highest tier of the Moroccan football system and play their home matches at the 45,000 seat Complexe Sportif de Fès stadium.

Fez is one of the cities expected to host matches during the 2030 FIFA World Cup and there are plans to upgrade its sports stadium before this date. It is also expected to host matches during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The MAS Fez basketball team competes in the Nationale 1, Morocco's top basketball division.

Infrastructure

Parks

The availability of Urban green space, green spaces in Fez is limited and significantly deviates from the international standard, which calls for a minimum of ten square meters of green space per resident. As of 2022, the city provides only two square meters of green space per resident.

Latin American Park is a park opened in the summer of 2015 that sits in the middle of Fez. It is around 3,700 square metres in area and employs about 40 workers. The park is dedicated to the relations of Fez and Latin America; its inauguration ceremony was attended by a delegation of ambassadors from Venezuela, Paraguay, and Panama. Latin American Park includes a number of facilities, such as a pool, a children's pavilion, cafes, and several trails.

The Bird Park or Tropicana Park is another green area in Fez. Over seven acres in size, it features playgrounds, community event spaces, restaurants, and rest areas. The park was opened in June 2014 and is credited with significantly improving the recreational infrastructure of Fez. Inside the park is a "Bird Garden" which hosts more than thirty species of birds, local and imported, such as Peafowl, peacocks, parrots, and the North African ostrich. There are also ponds with Goose, geese and ducks.

Transport

The city is served by the region's main international airport, Fès–Saïs Airport, Fès–Saïs, located roughly 15 km south of the city center. A new terminal was added to the airport in 2017 which expanded the airport's capacity to 2.5 million visitors a year.

The city's Fes railway station, main train station, operated by ONCF, is located a short distance from the downtown area of the and is connected to the rail lines running east to Oujda and west to Tangier and Casablanca. The main intercity bus terminal (or ) is located just north of Bab Mahrouk, on the outskirts of the old medina, although Compagnie de Transports au Maroc, CTM also operates a terminal off Boulevard Mohammed V in the '. Share taxi, Intercity taxis (also known as ) depart from and arrive at several spots including the Bab Mahrouk bus station (for western destinations like Meknes and Rabat), Bab Ftouh (for eastern destinations like Sidi Harazem Bath Complex, Sidi Harazem and Taza), and another lot in the ' (for southern destinations like Sefrou).

The city operates a Public transport, public transit system with various Public transport bus service, bus routes.

Utilities

The city's water supply, sewage, and electricity networks are managed by the (). An activated sludge treatment plant has been treating Fez's wastewater since 2014.

Education

Primary education, Primary and secondary education in Fez is administered by Morocco's Ministry of National Education (Morocco), Ministry of National Education. It includes a preschool level, six years of primary school, followed by three years of middle school and three years of secondary school. Primary education, beginning at age six, is both free and obligatory. Vocational education is also offered.

Fez's University of al-Qarawiyyin is considered by some to be the oldest continually-operating university in the world. The university was first founded as a mosque by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 which subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the historic Muslim world. It became a state university in 1963, and remains an important institution of learning today.

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University is a public university founded in 1975 and is the largest in the city by attendance, counting over 86,000 students in 2020. It has 12 Faculty (division), faculties with sites across Fez; the two main campuses are known as Dhar El Mehraz and Sais. , another public university, was created in 2012 and is certified by the Union for the Mediterranean.

The was started in 2006 and quickly established itself as one of the leading institutions in the private higher education sector in the city of Fez. In 2013, it became the , the city's first private university. Its main focus is its engineering school, though it also offers diplomas in architecture, business, and law.

International relations

Fez is Sister city, twinned with:

* Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso (1982)
* Chengdu, China (2015)
* Coimbra, Portugal
* Córdoba, Spain (1990)
* East Jerusalem, Palestine (1982)
* Florence, Italy (1961)
* Jericho, Palestine (2014)
* Kairouan, Tunisia (1965)
* Kraków, Poland (1985)
* Montpellier, France (2003)
* Saint-Louis, Senegal, Saint-Louis, Senegal (1979)

* Suwon, South Korea (2003)
* Wuxi, China (2011)
* Xi'an, China (2019)

Notable people

* Abd al-Hafid of Morocco – Sultan of Morocco from 1909 to 1912, born in Fez
* Abdellatif Laabi – Poet born in 1942 in Fez
* Abderrahime Bouramdane – Professional marathoner from Fez
* Abdessalam Benjelloun – Former international footballer born in Fez
* Adel Taarabt – Moroccan association football player from Fez
* Adnane Remmal – Professor at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez
* Ahmad Zarruq – Prominent Islamic scholar
* Akram Roumani – Former international footballer born in Fez
* Ali ibn Qasim al-Zaqqaq – Author in the field of Maliki common law
* Anas Zniti – Professional footballer born in Fez
* Dunash ben Labrat – Commentator and poet born in Fez
* Hamid Chabat – Moroccan politician and former mayor of Fez
* Isaac Uziel – Physician, poet, and grammarian, born in Fez
* Jilali Gharbaoui – Modernist artist, studied at the Académie des Arts (Fès), ''Académie des Arts'' in Fes
* Karim Bennani – Moroccan painter born in Fez
* Mehdi Bennani – Moroccan professional racing driver, born in Fez
* Mohamed Chafik – Leading figure in the Amazigh (also known as Berberism, Berber) cultural movement, born in Fez
* Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco – Princess consort of Morocco, born in Fez
* Rachid Yazami – Scientist, engineer and inventor born in Fez
* Roberto López Ufarte – Professional footballer from Fez
* Samuel Pallache – Merchant, diplomat, and pirate, born in Fez
* Soufiane El Bakkali – Steeplechase runner, born in Fez
* Touria Chaoui – first female Moroccan aviator to get a pilot's license
* Youssef En-Nesyri – International footballer born in Fez
* Yves Lacoste – French geographer and geopolitician, born in Fez

Notes

References

Citations

Further reading

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External links

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ArchNet – "Fès"
(Contains catalogue of monuments, pictures, and explanatory text)

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Fez, Morocco,
Prefectural capitals in Morocco
Regional capitals in Morocco
789 establishments
8th-century establishments in Africa
Populated places established in the 8th century
Former capitals of Morocco

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