Morocco Guide
Meknes, Fes and the Middle Atlas
The undoubted highlight of this region is Fes. The imperial capital for long periods under the Merenid, Wattasid and Alaouite dynasties, the city has for the past ten centuries stood at the heart of Moroccan history – and for five of these it was one of the major intellectual and cultural centres of the West, rivalling the great university cities of Europe. Today, it is unique in the Arab world, preserving the appearance and much of the life of a medieval Islamic city. In terms of monuments, it boasts as many as the other Moroccan imperial capitals combined, while the souks, extending for over a mile, maintain the whole tradition of urban crafts.
In all of this – and equally in the everyday aspects of the city's life – there is enormous fascination and, for the outsider, a real feeling of privilege. But inevitably, it is at a cost. Declared a historical monument by its French colonizers, and subsequently deprived of its political and cultural significance, Fes today retains its beauty but is evidently in decline. Its university faculties have been dispersed around the country, with the most important departments in Rabat; the Fassi business elite have mostly left for Casablanca; and, for survival, the city depends increasingly on the tourist trade. Nonetheless, two or three days here is an absolute must for any visit to Morocco.
Highlights
1 Bou Inania Medersa, Fes The finest Merenid Islamic college in the country, looking better than ever after renovation.
2 The tanneries, Fes A little voyeuristic, but the view of these leather-tanning vats can have barely changed since medieval days.