11 Best Sights in Fez and the Middle Atlas, Morocco

Graceful proportions, stucco calligraphy, carved cedarwood, ornate zellige, and its excellent state of preservation make this 14th-century building one of the best representations of Merenid architecture in Fez. Named for local spice merchants, the former Koranic school was founded by Sultan Abou Saïd Othman as a students' dormitory attached to the Kairaouine Mosque next door. Visit the austere rooms on the first floor for wonderful views over the mosque. 

This Moorish-style gate dating to 1913 is considered the principal and most beautiful point of entry into Fez el-Bali, even though it's 1,000 years younger than the rest of the medina. It was built by General Hubert Lyautey, Moroccan commander under the French protectorate. The side facing toward Fez el-Djedid is covered with blue ceramic tiles painted with flowers and calligraphy; the inside is green, the official color of Islam—or of peace, depending on interpretation.

Looming over the Place el-Hedim, this huge, horseshoe-shape gate is widely considered to be North Africa's most beautiful, completed in 1732 by a Christian convert to Islam named Mansour Laalej (whose name means "victorious renegade"). The marble Ionic columns supporting the two bastions on either side of the main entry are thought to have been taken from the Roman ruins at Volubilis. The taller Corinthian columns came from Marrakesh's El Badi Palace, part of Moulay Ismail's campaign to erase any vestige of the Saadian dynasty that preceded the Alaouites. Ismail's last important construction project, the gate was conceived as an elaborate homage to himself and the dynasty's strong Muslim orthodoxy, rather than a defensive stronghold—hence its intense decoration of green and white tiles and engraved Koranic panels, now faded with age. The Arabic inscription along the top of the gate reads: "I am the most beautiful gate in Morocco. I’m like the moon in the sky. Property and wealth are written on my front."

From outside Bab Boujeloud you will see the green-tile tower of this medersa (school), generally considered the most beautiful of the Kairaouine University's 14th-century residential colleges. It was built by order of Abou Inan, the first ruler of the Merenid dynasty, which would become the most decisive ruling clan in Fez's development. The main components of the stunningly intricate decorative artwork in former school are the green-tile roofing; the cedar eaves and upper patio walls carved in floral and geometrical motifs; the carved-stucco midlevel walls; the ceramic-tile lower walls covered with calligraphy (Kufi script, essentially cursive Arabic) and geometric designs; and, finally, the marble floor. The carved cedar still dazzles, with each square inch a masterpiece of handcrafted sculpture involving long hours of the kind of concentration required to memorize the Koran. The black belt of ceramic tile around the courtyard bears Arabic script reading "this is a place of learning" and other such exhortatory academic messages.

The city's famous medieval tanneries are at once beautiful—for their ancient dyeing vats of reds, yellows, and blues—and unforgettable—for the malodorous smell of the sheep, goat, cow, and camel skins. The terrace overlooking the dyeing vats is high enough to escape the place's full fetid power and get a spectacular view over the multicolor vats. Absorb both the process and the finished product on Rue Chouara, numerous stores are filled with loads of leather goods, including coats, bags, and babouches (traditional slippers). One of the shopkeepers will hand you a few sprigs of fresh mint to smother the smell, before explaining what's going on in the tanneries below—how the skins are placed successively in saline solution, quicklime, pigeon droppings, and then any of several natural dyes: poppies for red, turmeric for yellow, saffron for orange, indigo for blue, and mint for green. Barefoot workers in shorts pick up skins from the bottoms of the dyeing vats with their feet, then work them manually. Though this may look like an undesirable job, the work is relatively well paid and still in demand for a strong export market.

After an extensive renovation, this 19th-century palace on the north side of the Place el-Hedim has reopened as the National Museum of Music, showcasing musical instruments and musical styles from around the country in immersive exhibits, with explanations in English, French, and Arabic. Built by a powerful family of viziers (high government officials), the palace itself is stunning, especially the carved-cedar ceilings, interior Andalusian garden, and menzah (pavilion). 

The Royal Granaries were one of Moulay Ismail's greatest achievements during his reign, designed to store grain to feed his 10,000 horses for up to 20 years. To keep the grain from rotting, the granaries were kept cool by thick walls, hanging gardens, and an underground cistern with water ducts powered by donkeys. Behind the granaries are the ruins of the royal stables, where around 1,200 purebreds were kept. To the left of the door out to the stables, notice the symmetry of the stables' pillars from three different perspectives. Acoustically perfect, the site is now often used for concerts. The adjacent Agdal Basin served as a both a vast reservoir for the gardens and a lake. It's 2 km (1 mile) south of Moulay Ismail's mausoleum, so take a petit taxi in hot weather.

Volubilis's best set of mosaics, not to be missed, is in the House of Venus. Intact excavations portray a chariot race, a bathing Diana surprised by the hunter Actaeon, and the abduction of Hylas by nymphs—all still easily identifiable. The path back down to the entrance passes the site of the Temple of Saturn, across the riverbed on the left.

Gardens play an important role in Moroccan culture, and this gorgeous green space just outside the medina walls is one of the oldest in Fez. Once part of the Royal Palace, it was donated to the city in the 19th century by Sultan Moulay Hassan. A stroll around the shady pathways of this well-restored garden, with time to admire its many towering palms, rose bushes, lakes, and fountains, is the perfect escape from the medina’s hubbub.

Fresh from a renovation, the mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who died in 1727, is a beautiful structure which he had constructed during his lifetime. Off a serene courtyard, a heavily decorated anteroom is filled with striking zellij tilework, painted wood, elaborately carved stucco, graceful arches, and marble columns. His tomb sits in a sacred chamber, which non-Muslims can look in to but cannot enter. 

This outfitter offers engaging cultural tours, from unveiling the medina's secrets on the Architecture and Islamic Gardens Tour to culinary adventures on the excellent Souk Tasting Trails tour. Or join a family as they shop for produce in their local souk, pick up bread at their neighborhood farran (bakery), then learn how to preserve lemons, make mint tea, and conjure up typical salads and a tagine of your choice in the kitchen of their traditional dar. You’ll end by sitting down with the family to share the meal in true Moroccan style. Day trips beyond Fez—take a Roman picnic to Volubilis, barter at the carpet auction in Khenifra, or hike through the Rif Mountains—and longer excursions to the Sahara, the High Atlas, the coast, and all major Moroccan cities are also available.