City Africa
Fez
Fez is a big, old city in Morocco. Its old town has no cars: people walk everywhere!
Fez is a city in northern Morocco, on the fertile Saïss plain between two mountain ranges. Its old town, the medina, is closed to cars and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. The 2024 census counted 1,182,963 people in the city.
Fez (Arabic Fās), regional capital of Fès-Meknès on the Saïss plain between the Rif and the Middle Atlas (Universalis), was founded by the Idrisid dynasty (UNESCO: between 789 and 808). Its medina of Fès el-Bali and Fès el-Jdid, entirely pedestrian, has been on the World Heritage List since 1981. City Population gives 1,182,963 inhabitants for Fès (with Méchouar Fès Jdid) at the census of 1 September 2024.
Photo: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Fez
Fez is a big city in Morocco, in the north of Africa.
It has a very old part and a newer part.
Fez is a city in northern Morocco. Universalis says it lies on the fertile Saïss plain, between the mountains of the Rif and the Middle Atlas, and today it is the capital of the Fès-Meknès region. Larousse adds that it stands on the Fès river, which flows into the Sebou.
The 2024 census counted 1,182,963 people in the city. Larousse describes three parts: the old town Fès el-Bali, the 'new' Fès el-Jdid, and a modern city.
Universalis: Fès (Arabic Fās), today a regional capital and chief town of the Fès-Meknès region, located in northern Morocco on the fertile Saïss plain between the Rif and Middle Atlas ranges. Larousse: city of Morocco on the oued Fès, a tributary of the Sebou; agglomeration 1,150,131 (2014 census); an urban landscape of Fas al-Bali (the old town), Fas al-Djadid ('the New') and a modern European-style city with some industry. City Population (census, Haut-Commissariat au Plan): Fès including Méchouar Fès Jdid 484,154 (1982), 772,184 (1994), 950,240 (2004), 1,112,072 (2014), 1,182,963 (1 September 2024).
- Country
- Morocco; a regional capital in the north (Universalis)
- People in the city (census 2024)
- 1,182,963 (Fès with Méchouar Fès Jdid)
- River
- the Fès river, which flows into the Sebou (Larousse)
- Plain
- the fertile Saïss plain, between the Rif and the Middle Atlas mountains (Universalis)
A medina with no cars
Look at all the buildings packed together on the hill! There are palm trees and green roofs too.
In the old town, people walk everywhere. Cars cannot go in.
This photo shows Fès el-Bali, the oldest part of Fez, on a December morning in 2024: sand-colored buildings with flat roofs, packed together on a hillside, with palm trees, green-tiled roofs and a few tall towers. Commons files it under views from Borj Sud.
Universalis says the medina is entirely pedestrian. Its two old parts meet at the gate of Bab Bou Jeloud. Many craft workshops supply its markets, called souks, and it has four traditional tanneries, where animal skins are made into leather; the largest is Chouara.
Commons: 'Fez (Morocco)', Jorge Franganillo (Flickr, CC BY 2.0), taken 27 December 2024, 10:19; Flickr location 34.054° N, 4.970° W, 3.27 km ENE of the Wikidata city point; categories include 'Cityscapes of Fes' and 'Views from Borj Sud' (the second added by another Commons user in December 2025). Universalis: the medina, entirely pedestrian, World Heritage since 1981, still very densely populated, with many craft activities supplying its souks, including four traditional tanneries, the largest Chouara; the two old parts communicate through the Bab Bou Jeloud gate. Larousse: fine houses of the 13th-19th centuries whose inner gardens (riyad) are the city's greatest charm; fondouks built between the 14th and 18th centuries. Wikidata, from the city point: Bab Bou Jeloud (Q2881543) 2.71 km NE; Chouara Tannery (Q48815525) 3.91 km NE.
- The medina
- entirely pedestrian; on the World Heritage List since 1981 (Universalis)
- Bab Bou Jeloud
- the gate between the two old parts of the city (Universalis)
- Tanneries
- four traditional tanneries; the largest is Chouara (Universalis)
Twelve hundred years of Fez
Fez is more than a thousand years old!
Long ago, traders came here from far away to buy and sell.
UNESCO says Fez was founded by the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808; Universalis puts it at the end of the 8th century, though UNESCO's short summary says the 9th. In 1276 the Marinid rulers built a new town, Fès el-Jdid, west of the old one, and UNESCO says Fez reached its height in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Universalis says the city grew at a crossroads of trade routes linking Africa south of the Sahara with the lands north of the Mediterranean and the rest of the Arab world. Its university of al-Qarawiyyin, dating from 859, is considered the oldest university in the world still at work.
UNESCO (Medina of Fez): the capital founded by the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808, originally two fortified quarters on either bank of the Fez wadi (the Andalous and the Kairouanais banks); united within one rampart by the Almoravids in the 11th century (Universalis: walls in the 12th century); Fès el-Bali reached its present size under the Almohads; Fès el-Jdid founded in 1276 under the Marinids; the city's height in the 13th-14th centuries (the brief statement says 'founded in the 9th century'). Universalis: founded at the end of the 8th century under the Idrisids; the two old parts were joined in the 19th century; a crossroads of trade routes; the mosque and university of al-Qarawiyyin (859; Larousse dates the Qarawiyyin mosque to 857) is considered today the oldest university in the world still active; under the French protectorate (1912-1956) the city spread west and south.
- Founded
- by the Idrisid dynasty, between 789 and 808 (UNESCO); end of the 8th century (Universalis)
- Fès el-Jdid, the 'new town'
- founded in 1276 by the Marinids, west of the old town (UNESCO)
- World Heritage Site
- since 1981 (Universalis)
On foot, by train and by plane
In the old town, people walk everywhere.
Trains and planes bring visitors to Fez.
Universalis says the medina is entirely pedestrian, so people get around the old town on foot.
Universalis adds that its region is well served by roads and railways, and that Fès-Saïss airport, enlarged several times, has direct flights to big European cities: Paris, Barcelona, Milan and London. On Wikidata, the airport is about 13 kilometers south of the city's point, and the railway station about half a kilometer north-northwest.
Universalis: the medina is entirely pedestrian; since the 1990s Fès is a metropolis linked to the world through industry, tourism and culture, symbolized by the Fès-Saïss international airport (enlarged several times), directly connected to large European cities (Paris, Barcelona, Milan, London), in a region already well served by road and rail. Wikidata, from the city point (Q80985): Fes-Saïss Airport (Q1431302) 13.12 km S; Fes railway station (Q669455) 0.51 km NNW.
- In the medina
- on foot: it is entirely pedestrian (Universalis)
- Fès-Saïss airport
- direct flights to Paris, Barcelona, Milan and London (Universalis); about 13 km south of the city point (Wikidata)
- Railway station
- about 0.5 km north-northwest of the city point (Wikidata)
Hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters
Summer in Fez is very hot and dry.
Winter is cooler, with more rainy days.
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for Fes, for 1991 to 2020, show January days of about 16 °C and nights of about 4 °C. In July and August, days average about 35 °C.
About 488 millimeters of rain fall in a year, mostly from October to April. November is the wettest month, with 65.6 millimeters, and July the driest, with 1.1 millimeters.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Fes (Direction de la Météorologie Nationale; period 1991-2020 as given in the data; station point 33.93° N, 4.97° W, near the airport): mean daily maximum 16.0 °C (Jan) to 35.1 °C (Jul, Aug); mean daily minimum 3.7 °C (Jan) to 18.3 °C (Aug). Rainfall 1.1 mm (Jul) to 65.6 mm (Nov); sum 487.8 mm; rain days 2 (Jul, Aug) to 9 (Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec), 76 a year.
- January, average daily high and low (WMO, Fes, 1991–2020)
- 16.0 °C and 3.7 °C
- July and August, average daily high (same table)
- 35.1 °C
- Rain in a year (twelve months added up)
- about 488 mm
Crafts, markets and visitors
In the old town, craft workers make things for the markets, called souks.
Some old houses have gardens hidden inside!
Universalis says the medina is still very densely populated, and many craft workshops supply its souks. UNESCO says the medina keeps a way of life, skills and a culture that carry on and are renewed today.
Larousse calls Fez a center for tourism and universities, and says the inner gardens of its old houses, called riyad, are the city's greatest charm. Since the 1990s, Universalis adds, industry, tourism and culture have linked Fez with the wider world.
Universalis: the medina, still very densely populated, shelters many craft activities that supply its souks (four traditional tanneries, the largest Chouara); since the 1990s Fès is a metropolis tied into globalization through industry, tourism and culture. UNESCO: the unpaved urban space keeps most of its original functions, and the medina transmits a lifestyle, skills and a culture that persist and are renewed. Larousse: a crossroads city and a tourist and university center; fine houses (13th-19th centuries) whose inner gardens (riyad) make up the city's greatest charm; a modern city with some industry.
- Crafts
- many craft workshops supply the souks of the medina (Universalis)
- Houses
- fine houses from the 13th to 19th centuries, with inner gardens called riyad (Larousse)
- Today
- industry, tourism and culture (Universalis)
Fez on the map
Find Morocco on the globe, in the top left corner of Africa. Fez is inland, in the north.
Fez lies at about 34.0° north and 5.0° west, inland in northern Morocco. Universalis places it on the Saïss plain, between the mountains of the Rif and the Middle Atlas.
On Wikidata, the old town's gate of Bab Bou Jeloud is about 2.7 kilometers northeast of the city's point, and the airport about 13 kilometers south.
Fez lies at about 34.04° N, 5.00° W (Wikidata point of Fez, Q80985; the Natural Earth/sheet point is 1.47 km N of it). Universalis: northern Morocco, on the fertile Saïss plain, between the Rif and Middle Atlas ranges. Larousse: on the oued Fès, a tributary of the Sebou. Wikidata: Bab Bou Jeloud 2.71 km NE; Fès el-Bali (Q29080943) 3.55 km NE; Fes-Saïss Airport 13.12 km S.
- Latitude
- about 34.0° north
- Longitude
- about 5.0° west
- Setting
- northern Morocco, between the Rif and the Middle Atlas (Universalis)
Amazing facts
-
No cars can drive into the old town of Fez!
Universalis says the medina of Fez is entirely pedestrian, so people get around the old town on foot.
Universalis: the medina, formed by Fès el-Bali and Fès el-Jdid joined in the 19th century, is entirely pedestrian and on the World Heritage List since 1981.
-
Fez has a university that started more than a thousand years ago!
Universalis says Fez's university of al-Qarawiyyin dates from 859 and is considered the oldest university in the world still at work.
Universalis: al-Qarawiyyin (859) is considered today the oldest university in the world still active.
-
Some houses in Fez have a garden hidden inside!
Larousse says the inner gardens of Fez's old houses, called riyad, are the city's greatest charm.
Larousse: fine houses of the 13th to 19th centuries, whose inner gardens (riyad) make the city's greatest charm.
Words to know
- medina
- the old walled town at the heart of many North African cities
- souk
- a traditional market with many small shops and stalls
- tannery
- a place where animal skins are made into leather
- pedestrian
- for people walking on foot, not for cars
- plain
- a wide stretch of flat land
- dynasty
- a family of rulers, one after another
Discovery challenge
-
Fez is a city in which country?
Fez lies on the Saïss plain in which North African country?
Fez, chief town of the Fès-Meknès region, is in which country?
- Morocco
- Chile
- Norway
Show the answer
Morocco
Morocco!
Morocco.
Morocco.
-
How do people get around the old town of Fez?
How do people move around the medina of Fez, which is entirely pedestrian?
Universalis describes the medina of Fez as entirely what?
- On foot
- By car
- By subway
Show the answer
On foot
On foot!
On foot: the medina is entirely pedestrian.
Pedestrian: people get around it on foot.
-
What do the tanneries of Fez make leather from?
In the tanneries of Fez, such as Chouara, what is made into leather?
The four traditional tanneries of the medina, the largest being Chouara, turn what into leather?
- Animal skins
- Seaweed
- Paper
Show the answer
Animal skins
Animal skins!
Animal skins.
Animal skins (hides).
-
When does Fez get the least rain?
In the 1991–2020 averages, which is the driest month in Fez?
Which month has the lowest mean rainfall in the WMO 1991–2020 normals for Fes?
- July
- November
- January
Show the answer
July
July, in summer!
July, with 1.1 millimeters.
July, 1.1 mm.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Fez on the Saïss plain in northern Morocco.
- Describe how an old walled town (medina) differs from a modern city.
- Explain why a crossroads of trade routes helped a city grow.
- Read a climate table with hot, dry summers and wetter winters.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- What would be different about your street if no cars could drive on it?
- Why might people long ago have built houses with gardens inside, around a courtyard?
- Why might traders from far away meet in a city between mountains and plains?
Try at home or in class
- Maze map: draw a medina with narrow winding streets and a gate, then find a path from the gate to the market.
- Rain chart: draw the monthly rainfall for Fez as bars and color the dry summer months.
- Courtyard house: fold a paper box with an open middle and draw a garden inside.
Key vocabulary: medina, souk, tannery, pedestrian, plain, dynasty
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Fès , Encyclopædia Universalis
- Fès ou Fez en arabe Fās , Larousse encyclopédie
- Medina of Fez , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Morocco: regions and major cities , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the Haut-Commissariat au Plan
- Fes: climatological information (1991–2020) , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- File:Fez (54259975610).jpg (Jorge Franganillo) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.