47 Best Sights in Fez and the Middle Atlas, Morocco

Built in AD 857 by Fatima, the daughter of a wealthy Kairaouine refugee, this is considered one of the most important mosques in the Western Muslim world, and one look through the main doorway will give you an idea of its immensity. With about 10,760 square feet, the Kairaouine was Morocco's largest mosque until Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque came along in the early 1990s. It became the home of the West's first university and the world's foremost center of learning at the beginning of the second millennium. Stand at the entrance door's left side for a peek through the dozen horseshoe arches into the mihrab (marked by a hanging light). An east-facing alcove or niche used for leading prayer, the mihrab is rounded and covered with an arch designed to project sound back through the building. Lean in and look up to the brightly painted and intricately carved wood ceiling. If you get there just before prayer times, the two huge wooden doors by the entrance will be open, providing a privileged view of the vast interior. For a good view of the courtyard, head to the rooftop of the Attarine Medersa.  Note that entry is restricted to Muslims. 

During the town's famous Cherry Festival, a procession ventures across the Aggai River to the Kef el-Moumen cave containing the prophet Daniel's tomb, a pilgrimage venerated by Jews and Muslims alike. According to legend, seven followers of Daniel slept here for centuries before miraculously resuscitating.

West of Sefrou is the ancient fountain of Lalla Rekia, believed to contain miraculous holy water to cure mental illness. Some visitors still bring jugs to the spring to carry away alleged healing benefits from the fount's source. The area is best accessed by rental car or taxi, as public transportation in the area is limited.

Seeing a Berber nucleus, the French established the Collège Berbère here in an attempt to train an elite Berber opposition to the urban Arab ruling class; both Arabic and Islam were prohibited. After independence, the movement faded. The Berber college became an Arabic school and was renamed the Lycée Tarik Ibn Ziad. It now teaches a progressive curriculum and hosts international exchange students.

Known for its characteristically ornate balconies and forged-iron windows, the Mellah was created in the 15th century when the Jews, forced out of the medina in one of Morocco's recurrent pogroms, were removed from their previous ghetto near Bab Guissa and set up as royal financial consultants and buffers between the Merenid rulers and the people. Fez's Jewish community suffered repressive measures until the beginning of the French protectorate in 1912. Faced with an uncertain future after Morocco gained independence in 1956, nearly all of Fez's Jews migrated to Casablanca, Israel, and the United States.

Some highlights of this historic district include the vertically green-striped Moulay Abdellah Mosque and the Great Mosque Abu Haq, built in 1276. The neighborhood was designed by the Merenids as a government seat and a stronghold against their subjects, but the area lost its purpose when Rabat became the Moroccan capital under the French protectorate in 1912. Subsequently filled with brothels and dance halls, the quarter was closed to foreigners for years.

An outstanding historic site from the Merenids, the Moulay Idriss Medersa was built in the 14th century by sultan Abou el Hassan. The medersa, hidden in the town's steep and twisting streets, has a striking cylindrical minaret constructed in 1939 that is the only one of its kind in Morocco, standing as testimony to Turkish and Arab influences. Originally built with materials from Volubilis, the minaret is decorated with green ceramic tiles bearing inscriptions of the 114 suras (chapters) of the Koran. Only Muslims can enter the medersa. 

The mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who died in 1727, is a beautiful structure with deep ocher-hue walls inside that lead to a private sanctuary, on the left, heavily decorated with colorful geometric zellij tiling. At the end of the larger inner courtyard is the sacred chamber with his tomb, surrounded by hand-carved cedar-and-stucco walls, intricate mosaics, and a central fountain. The mausoleum was closed at the time of writing, but check for reopening.  Non-Muslim visitors are allowed in to the first courtyards but not the tomb. 

A 14th-century, three-story Nejjarine fondouk, the Inn of the Carpenters is now home to a fascinating museum that displays Morocco's various native woods, 18th- and 19th-century woodworking tools, and a series of antique wooden doors and pieces of furniture. Enjoy a mint tea on the rooftop terrace with panoramic views over the medina. Don't miss the former jail cell on the ground floor or the large set of weighing scales, a reminder of the building's original functions—commerce on the ground floor and lodging on the levels above.  Check out the palatial, cedar-ceiling public bathrooms, certainly the finest of their kind in Fez.

In this open, triangular space that is home to metalworkers, copper and brass bowls, plates, and buckets are wrought and hammered over fires around the square's edge, and the smells of soldering irons permeate the air. Look toward the Kairaouine Mosque at the top of the square to see the Kairaouine University library. It holds a collection of precious manuscripts, including a 9th-century Koran, but is currently open only to Muslim scholars.

One of the medina's finest medersas was built by the Merenids in the 14th century and named for the sahrij (pool) on which its patio is centered, with rich chocolate-color cedar wall carvings and some of the oldest zellij mosaic tiling in the country. It's still a working school, so head up the narrow steps leading to empty rooms over the central patio and you may hear the chanting of Koranic verses.

From the Sidi Abdellah el Hajjam Terrace, in the Khiber quarter, you will have the best vantage point to see the holy village of Moulay Idriss and its sacred sanctuaries. The adjoining quarter across the gorge is called Tasga.

Just outside the medina walls, within the confines of an extensive cemetery, is the mosque and mausoleum of one of Morocco's most famous saints, Sidi Mohammed ben Aïssa (aka Cheikh El Kamel, 1467–1526). He founded the legendary Aïssaoua Sufi brotherhood, and each year his followers come from all over North Africa to gather at the shrine at the annual moussem (festival) on the eve of the birth of the prophet Mohammed. The festival date varies with the lunar calendar, but expect processions through Meknès, the brotherhood’s singular music, and ecstatic dances, often imitating animals. Ben Aïssa was said to have made a pact with the animal world and to possess magical powers, such as the ability to transform leaves into gold and silver coins. The brotherhood was once known for such voluntary rituals as swallowing scorpions, broken glass, and poison; members also mutilated themselves with knives in prayer-induced trances.  Entry to the mausoleum is restricted to Muslims. 

Set around the Mosquée du Marché, or Market Mosque, Taza's untouristy souks and the covered stalls of the kissaria are worth exploring. Look out for the shaggy cream-wool rugs with black geometric markings made by the Beni Ourain tribe.

Built in the 17th century, this is the one of the oldest synagogues in the region and one of the few that remain in the Mellah. It is rarely used as a synagogue today, but its rich cedarwood benches and beams, tiled floors, and brass chandeliers have been restored to their former splendor. The guardian can show you its most important features, including the original gazelle-skin Torah scrolls and the subterranean mikvah (ritual bath).

This important shrine and mausoleum of the Idrissid dynasty's patriarch, Moulay Idriss I, who died in 791, is marked by a wooden bar so that people bow their head on entering. Entry is restricted to Muslims, but for a good view over the green-tiled minaret and rooftop of this landmark building, climb to a vantage point overlooking the religious sanctuary. The hike through the town's surrounding alleys up one of the many hills is invigorating and a symbolic bow to Morocco's secular and spiritual history. 

Originally built by the Idriss dynasty in the 9th century in honor of the city's founder—who was just 33 at the time of his death—this zaouia (sanctuary) was restored by the Merenid dynasty in the 13th century and has became one of the medina's holiest shrines. Particularly known for his baraka (divine protection), Moulay Idriss II had an especially strong cult among women seeking fertility and pilgrims hoping for good luck. The wooden beam at the entrance, about 6 feet from the ground, was originally placed there to keep Jews, Christians, and donkeys out of the horm, the sacred area surrounding the shrine itself. Inside the horm, Moroccans have historically enjoyed official sanctuary—they cannot be arrested if sought by the law. You may be able to catch a glimpse of the saint's tomb at the far right corner through the doorway; look for the fervently faithful burning candles and incense, and the tomb's silk-brocade covering. Note the rough wooden doors themselves, worn smooth with hundreds of years of kissing and caressing the wood for baraka (blessing). Entrance is restricted to Muslims only.