YOUR ITINERARY

• Morning departure from you riad or hotel in Fes. Discover Fes el-Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The old medina is thought of as a living museum.
• Visit the 14th Century Palace Gates of the King. The Royal Palace in Fes is one of the oldest and largest in Morocco.
• Next visit the Jewish Mellah. A mellah is the Jewish quarter located in the old cities of Morocco with a walled boundary. The Fes Mellah is also walled and it has a fortified gateway. These Jewish quarters are located near the royal residencies which enabled its inhabitants to be protected from the wrath of the Muslim populace. The Fes Mellah was once solely inhabited by Jews. This was the first mellah in Morocco and originated in 1438. In contrast with the young Casablanca Mellah, the Fes Mellah is over 650 years old. This picturesque neighborhood adjoins the royal palace where Jews took shelter during the 1912 pogrom.
• Visit the Jewish Cemetery and Tomb of Solica. The cemetery contains the tombs of more Jewish saints than any other cemetery in Morocco. One of the more important saints is Lalla Solica, who was killed for refusing to convert to Islam. Solica was born in Tangier in 1817. At the age of 16, she was courted by a Muslim man, but refused to marry him. To force her hand, the man went to the caid, the local government official. The man told the caid that Solica could not refuse his offer of marriage because she was no longer Jewish, having converted to Islam of her own free will. When called before the caid, she refused to acknowledge having converted. The Sultan called her to Fes, where she again denied her conversion. As a result, she was condemned to death for apostasy and killed in 1834.
• Visit Ibn Danan Jewish Synagogue. Fes was once home to a flourishing Jewish community during the 17th century. The Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Danan Synagogue was built and founded by the Ibn Danan family, as well as the nearby Mansano Synagogue.
• Fes el Bali, also known as Rcife, is the heart of manufacturing for Fassi goods. Cross the local fruit and vegetable market and visit the stalls of local traders while watching locals buy their daily goods.
• Dyers Souk – The dyers market, located along Rue de Teinturies, is the best place to see the dying vats which have been used for centuries to dye cloth and sheep, goat, cow, and camel leather. You will see many tanned hides colored with natural pigments of all shades and hues.
• Place el-Seffarine is the most important center for the production Fassi style ceramics, brass-ware, and silverware in Morocco.
• Visit the Chourara, or Tanner’s Quarters, one of the most lively and picturesque souks in Fes. Located near the Wadi Fès and far from residential areas due to the tannery smell. See the wide array of local leather work, a proud tradition of Fes.
• Visit the Weavers Cooperative located in a residential neighborhood. The workshop specializes in weaving the finest jellaba fabric made of silk and wool threads imported from Italy. The shop also makes a quality jellaba fabric from a locally spun, textured wool thread called hubba. Hubba is sometimes referred to as couscous because its nubby texture resembles Morocco’s national semolina dish of the same name.
• Visit Mausoleum – Zaouia Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani contains the tomb of the 18th centry Sufi Shaykh founder of the Tijaniyya order. The facade of the Mausoleum is highly ornamented with carved wood, stucco, and glazed tilework.
• See the University of al-Karaouine. Founded in 859, this university is one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world, and is considered the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world.
• Visit Mausolem – Zaouia Moulay Idriss, a shrine and the tomb of Moulay Idriss II, who ruled Morocco from 807 to 828 and founded the city of Fes.
• Lunch at Restaurant Nejjarine in Fes.
• Visit Nejjarine Square. This interesting square is dominated by the beautifully restored Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts housed in an 18th-century foundouk. There is also a superbly decorated wall fountain. Browse the shops before venturing into the carpentry souk with its amazing array of glitzy wedding chairs.
• Walk along Attarine street filled with the spice and perfume scents of Fes. Shop and explore carpet shops and local handicrafts. Watch Berber carpet weaving demonstrations.
• The Bou Inania Madrasa – The Madrasa Bou Inania is a madrasa founded in AD 1351–56 by Abu Inan Faris. It is widely acknowledged as a major example of Marinid architecture. The madrasa functioned as both an educational institute and a congregational mosque. It was the last madrasa to be built by the Marinides.
• Visit the Pottery and Zellij Tile Cooperative, a renowned Pottery Cooperative where you can view how Fasis pottery and zellij tile are made by hand. Tour the cooperative to see how the various artisans work using the ancient Fasis techniques that are unique to this Imperial city and region. View the galleries and shops of the artisans.
• Before returning to your riad, take a trip to Borj Nord to see Le Merinides Ruins and a gorgeous view of Fes from the Ville Nouvelle.

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