FEZ

In a nutshell A tour to discover Fez, the heir and custodian of Arabo-Andalusian culture and traditions, cradle of art and knowledge.

Main stops

• Bab Bou Jeloud Gate
  
• Medersa Bouanania
• Mnebhi Palace: lunch with a view
• Souks and Seffarine Square
• Moulay Idriss Mausoleum
• Kairouyine Mosque
• North Borj Fortress
• Mellah Quarter 
• Royal Palace

The programme

• We cross the rolling landscape of the Moroccan countryside by coach to reach the city of Fez. If we had to choose one city to visit in the whole of Morocco, our choice would certainly fall on Fez for its architectural treasures, its charming medina, its magnificent monuments and its fascinating history, all of which make it the cultural capital of the country. A religious, intellectual and artistic metropolis and cradle of a millenarian monarchy, Fez was the political capital of the empire for a long time. 
  
• Once inside the medieval city having passed through the monumental Bab Bou Jeloud Gate, with its glazed tiles reflecting the sun, we are immersed in a world where the pace of life is far removed from that of the modern world: artisans at work using original tools, women baking bread in public ovens, weavers at the loom using methods consolidated by tradition over the centuries, and the donkeys, which are the only means of transport allowed inside the medina, carrying all sorts of goods. 
• We visit the Bou Inania Madrasa, the largest and most elaborate in Fez, built at the behest of Sultan Abou Inan, with its magnificent marble and onyx courtyard. 
• Inside the Mnebhi Palace, one of the most refined palaces of the medina whose terrace commands a fine panorama of the surrounding area, we are served a typical Moroccan lunch. 
  
• We proceed on our visit by venturing into the maze of alleys of the medina, with its thousand and one curiosities and sensations, where each Souk is specialized for a different trade or for specific products: the Attarine Souk is dedicated to spices, the Nejarine Souk is for carpenters, Seffarine Square is full of blacksmiths and the Dyers Souk is full of colourful skeins of dyed silk, hung to dry in the sun. Accompanied by our guide we explore the most fascinating souk in Fez, the Hunters Souk, which is announced by a strong pungent smell of animal skins. We can observe the extraordinary traditional dyeing of skins in large vats from a panoramic terrace. 
  
• Our excursion proceeds with the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss, the founder of the millenarian city of Fez, a holy city for Muslims. Through the main doorway which is decorated with brightly coloured wood, we can see the prayer hall with its numerous chandeliers and a surprising collection of clocks including two splendid pendulum clocks donated by the Sun King Louis IV. 
  
• We walk around the Kairouyine Mosque, founded around the middle of the 9th century, and also the seat of a University that is believed to be the oldest in the world. The building is strictly off-limits for non-Muslims, however it is possible to catch a glimpse of the several precious treasured inside through the numerous doorways. 
  
• We leave the medieval city passing by the Saadian North Borj Fortress, where there are a number of vista points in the vicinity for taking photos of the mysterious medina. 
• Before setting off in the direction of Casablanca, we cut across the Jewish quarter of Mellah, stopping in front of the Royal Palace.
  

Good to know

• The duration of the excursion will be approx. 13 hours of which 8 hours approx. will be on the coach. 
• There will be lots of walking therefore we suggest comfortable shoes. 
• The limited areas inside Souk can have short queues of tourists especially on the leather-tanning terrace. 
• Space is limited, so please book early. 
• This excursion is not recommended for people with walking difficulties.