Do you want to visit Fez with the least amount of money?
Then follow this Top 15 of free visits, museums and activities to do in Fez that we have created for you to enjoy without breaking the bank.
Table des matières
The top free visits in Fez : The medina
The medina of Fez, we can’t talk about it enough. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and is therefore subject to the strict regulations of this organization. Everything has remained intact.
The medina, the largest in the Arab world, is therefore a jewel to see absolutely, during your trip to Fez
It is the largest pedestrian area, where it is easy to get lost in its delights by walking through its winding streets, its colorful and fragrant souks, to forget yourself by admiring the architecture of its medersas and its universities.
The visit of the medina in Fez is a real journey that seems specially designed to seduce visitors and lead them to venture and get lost in its dead ends and even the GPS of your smartphones can’t help it!
Fez el Bali and the blue door
Fez el Bali is one of the oldest districts of the medina. Within its walls, you will distinguish two independent parts, separated by a wavy river
In the left area, you will discover the most historical buildings and most of the commercial souks, while the right bank, a little more damaged, abounds in alleys, an ideal setting for a photo shoot, which you can use to feed your stories on Instagram
It’s also where you’ll discover the local life that gives this neighborhood its soul.
You’ll also see some interesting monuments like the Al-Andalus Mosque, built in 1321 and famous for its green and white minaret.
The central door that gives access to Fez el Bali is Bab Boujloud. As you walk towards this huge old door, you will see the superb panorama of the most popular monument of the neighborhood: the minaret of the Koranic school Bou Inania located a few steps from the Bab Boujloud door.
The blue door is even more fascinating in the fading light of dusk. To enjoy the show even more, sit on the terrace of the café La Kassbah with a mint tea for a few dirhams
Visit the gardens of Bou Jeloud for free
For a short break from the hustle and bustle of the medina, you can relax in the French-style gardens, located outside the medina walls, near Bab Boujloud
The perfectly manicured and landscaped gardens provide a vital green footprint for the city. The best time to do this, as the locals do, would be at sunset.
It is an ideal time to stroll serenely in the paths lined with flowers, fountains that gently trickle and trees that seem to compose symphonies with the little songs of birds that have invaded its branches.
Medersa el-Attarine
This theological school built by Abu Said in 1325 is a perfect illustration of the sumptuous Merinid architecture
Its courtyard is an admirable and vivid demonstration of the sophisticated decoration of this period, with glazed zellige tiles and cedar wood carvings
If you go upstairs, you will discover a labyrinth of cells, which once housed theology students at the Qaraouiyine Mosque
If you climb to the roof, you will enjoy a magnificent view of the Islamic colored tiles of this mosque.
Visit the Al Quaraouiyine Mosque for free
Built in 857 AD by Tunisian immigrants from the city of Kairouan, the Qaraouiyine Mosque was one of the most illustrious universities of the medieval period.
Currently, it is one of the most important places of worship in Morocco, with a prayer hall that can hold 20,000 people. Its library, one of the oldest in the world, contains over 30,000 books
Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the Fez el-Bali complex, but they can get great views of the mosque from the rooftops of nearby restaurants.
Just lean in a little to admire the fountains, ceilings and ceramics.
On Nejjarine square
Located in the center of the medina, near the carpenters’ souk, Nejjarine Square is one of the most beautiful historical places in Fez
This place is especially famous for its typical masterpiece: the Nejjarine water fountain decorated with sculptures and zellige. In fact, this kind of subtly decorated fountain is usually seen in front of mosques or palaces.
The Nejjarine square is the stronghold of the craftsmen. It would be interesting to stop here and observe these craftsmen at work, real magicians who transform everything with their hands
Thus, trays, lamps and other kitchen accessories seem to come out of their hands and take life before your eyes
Don’t forget to take a mint tea and enjoy it in the sun. Let yourself go, and as strange as it may seem, the immersion will be total in this universe punctuated by the sound of hammers.
Nejjarine Museum
It is in the center of the Nejjarine square, surrounded by workshops of boilermakers, that you will find the Nejjarine museum installed in an old fondouk converted into a museum of arts and crafts of wood in Morocco.
Here you will discover the rooms, with their engraved doors and mashrabiya windows, where traders once slept during their trips to the city.
The museum contains a magnificent collection of wooden objects, designed with a skill and art that only the craftsmen of the past had the secret. Admission to the museum won’t take much money, but it is well worth the visit.
Once you have finished your investigation, go up to the roof of the fondouk where a tea room has been set up. Order a mint tea and enjoy the breathtaking view of the old city, but mainly of the Merinid tombs.
The Chouara tanneries
This is a must-see place in Fez. The foul smell that emanates from there may bother you, but there is a simple way to mitigate it, twigs of fresh mint offered by a friendly employee, which you will put under your nose.
The almost thousand-year-old Chouara tanneries are hidden among the various buildings and monuments of Fez
You cannot access the vats, but you can contemplate them from the terraces of the surrounding shops. These stores also offer a view of the city and are a strategic place to take pictures.
The stores sell slippers, jackets, handbags and various leather items, as well as tourist items.
Carpet making workshop
These workshops can be found all over Fez. It is an activity that is part of the Moroccan cultural heritage, besides, the carpets of Morocco have a very good reputation
They are handmade by 3 or 4 women, in small workshops. These women perpetuate the tradition of their mothers, their grandmothers
Sitting on low stools in front of the vertical loom, they repeat the same gestures they had learned.
The making of a carpet could take a few months, depending on its size. Here you will also learn that a quality carpet is one that has already been washed and has kept the brilliance of its colors
So don’t be surprised if you get the impression that your carpet has been used before, because it has. But the best part is that the carpet you buy in Fez will stand the test of time, dirt and vacuuming
Fez el Jedid
The Merinids built this “New City” in the 13th century, when they realized that Fez el Bali lacked the space to accommodate their palaces
The Royal Palace, rather imposing and majestic, takes the spotlight here, occupying the front of the stage (although not accessible to the public) while in the background, it is rather the mosques and the Koranic schools that populate the alleys.
This part of the city, located between the effervescence of Fez el Bali and the New City with its European design, is a small enchanted parenthesis. One feels a certain calmness, a benevolent lull between these two fast-paced worlds.
Mellah
The old Mellah (Jewish quarter) is located in Fez el Jedid, more exactly north of the royal palace
This compact-looking neighborhood is made up of small streets dotted with beautiful (albeit very deteriorated) examples of houses that date back to the early 20th century and once housed the Jewish community of Fez.
Of course, don’t miss visiting the little Aben-Danan synagogue that has been renovated
On the outskirts of the Mellah, you will find the Jewish cemetery, one of the quietest and most serene places in the city, and a Jewish museum that contains a rich array of artifacts that highlight the life and culture of Moroccan Jews.
Batha Museum
The Batha Museum is located in a Spanish-Moorish summer palace built in the late twentieth century
The museum’s collection consists of a selection of traditional Moroccan crafts: finely crafted wooden doors, wrought iron, embroidery, carpets and jewels.
The star of the museum is the room where the famous Fassi ceramics in cobalt blue are displayed
The original ornamentation of the monument and the fascinating garden of the inner courtyard, full of shady trees and beautiful palm trees, form a real idyllic oasis in the middle of the city.
Panorama of the city from the South Borj
We will finish this overview of free activities in Fez or almost, by admiring the city from above, from the other side this time
More exactly at Borj Sud, a huge cemetery wrapped in a white shroud, which offers an ineffable, breathtaking view of Fez
From there, you will clearly see the contrast between the medina and the modern city, with its more or less intact walls.
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