Morocco tours

Fes was founded on a bank of the Jawhar river by Idris I in 789, founder of the Zaydi Shi’ite Idrisid dynasty. His son, Idris II (808),built a settlement on the opposing river bank. These settlements would soon develop into two walled and largely autonomous sites, often in conflict with one another: Madina Fes and Al-‘Aliya. In 808 Al-‘Aliya replaced Walili as the capital of the Idrisids.

Arab emigration to Fez, including 800 Andalusi families of Berber descent in 817–818 expelled after a rebellion against the Umayyads of Córdoba, and 2,000 Arab families banned from Kairouan (modern Tunisia) after another rebellion in 824, gave the city a more Arabic character than others of the region. The Andalusians settled in what is called the ‘Old’ Fez, while the Tunisians found their home in the ‘New’ Fez, also called al-‘Aliya. These two waves of immigrants would subsequently give their name to the sites ‘Adwat Al-Andalus and ‘Adwat al-Qarawiyyin. The majority of the population was of Arab descent, and the minority was of North-African Berber descent, with rural Berbers from the surrounding countryside settling there throughout this early period, mainly in Medina Fes (the Andalusian quarter) and later in Fes Jdid.

The city’s allegiance, or at least submission, has always been essential to whoever held Morocco’s throne. Morocco’s independence movement was born here, and when there are strikes or protests, they are often at their most vociferous in Fez.
For visitors, the medina of Fès el-Bali (Old Fez) is the city’s great drawcard. It’s an assault on the senses, a warren of narrow lanes and covered bazaars fit to bursting with aromatic food stands, craft workshops, mosques and an endless parade of people. Old and new constantly collide – the man driving the donkeys and mules that remain the main form of transport is likely to be chatting on his mobile phone, while the ancient skyline is punctuated equally with satellite dishes and minarets.