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58-427: The gardens were created in the 19th century by Sultan Moulay Hassan I (ruled 1873-1894), who was responsible for building the walls which connected Fes el-Jdid with Fes el-Bali for the first time. The gardens were placed inside the corridor between these walls, where the sultan also erected new summer palaces, such as the nearby Dar el-Beida . The gardens were originally exclusive to royal elites and were connected to

116-638: A capital of his own on the opposite bank of the Fez River . Even though they were only separated by a relatively small river the cities developed separately and became two individual cities until they were unified in the 11th century by the Almoravids . There were many refugees who decided to settle in the new city this time too, however this time they fled from an uprising in Kairouan (in modern Tunisia ). The University of Al-Karaouine (or al-Qarawiyyin)

174-482: A few months. The tanners rose up in protest "raging like lions and tigers" through the streets of Fes, pillaging the house of Muhammad Bennis, the Minister of Finance, turning Fes into a battleground. Mawlay Hassan I, who was on campaign sent letters calling for the pacification of the city. Shortly after, the hated tax collectors were withdrawn, and the rebellion halted. The tax collectors soon reappeared, leading to

232-624: A fortification there in 1882 known as Port Victoria . It was not until 1886 that the sultan sent a military expedition there, damaging the fort and forcing Donald MacKenzie to leave. The sultan's expedition to Sus in 1886 was followed a year later by the Spanish occupation of Dakhla on the Saharan coast. Mawlay Hassan responded by appointing a khalifa (governor) over the Sahara, Ma al-'Aynayn . In 1888 Timbuktu requested that Moulay Hassan send

290-557: A governor to help the town against the French forces advancing into the Niger basin . Mawlay Hassan I continued to expand the military reforms started by his father Muhammad IV . The new and reformed 'Askar al-Nizami introduced by sultan Abd al-Rahman in 1845 after the Battle of Isly was expanded by Mawlay Hassan I to the size of 25,000 men and 1,000 artillery. The sultan also enhanced

348-601: A local level, individual neighbourhoods and districts are specialized for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes. On a wider level, the city is organized in relation to major points of importance such as gates and main mosques. At this wider level, there are roughly four main centres of urban activity and organization: one around the Qarawiyin Mosque, one around the Mosque of the Andalusians, another around

406-472: A number of new forts and bastions around the city which appear to have been aimed at keeping control over the local population. They were mostly located on higher ground overlooking Fes el-Bali, from which they would have been easily able to bombard the city with canons. These include the Kasbah Tamdert , just inside the city walls near Bab Ftouh , and the forts of Borj Nord ( Borj al-Shamali ) on

464-586: Is a slave concubine of Georgian origin. Purchased in Istanbul in 1876 by the vizier Sidi Gharnat, she was the favorite of Sultan Moulay Hassan I during the sixteen years she remained in his harem. Nour: Circassian slave purchased in Turkey by Hadj El Arbi Brichi and offered to the sultan as a slave concubine. She is probably the beautiful Circassian bought for 25,000 francs at the Istanbul bazaar. But

522-400: Is from an illustrious Moroccan family. After the disgrace of her step-son Sidi Mohammed, Sultan Moulay Hassan I hastened to name her son Moulay Abdelaziz official heir to the crown. Their children are: Lalla Kinza al-Daouia: she divorced from the sultan and remarried to Abdallah al-Daouia then to Mohammed el-Talba. From her marriage to the sultan she had: Lalla Oum al-Khair, her last name

580-726: Is intended to preserve the visual integrity of the location. Fes el Bali is, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created Ville Nouvelle or “New Town”, one of the three main districts in Fez. As the capital for his newly acquired empire, Idris ibn Abdallah chose to build a new town on the right bank of the Fez River in AD 789. Many of the first inhabitants were refugees fleeing from an uprising in Cordoba (modern-day Spain). However, in 809 his son, Idris II , decided to found

638-526: Is more famous today), Bab Guissa , and Bab Ftouh . At the western end of the city were two historic kasbahs (fortified enclosures) attached to the city: the Kasbah an-Nouar , which still exists today on the northern side of Place Bou Jeloud , and the Kasbah Bou Jeloud, whose walls have since disappeared but which stood directly southwest of the current Bab Bou Jeloud gate. The Kasbah Bou Jeloud

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696-530: Is not retained, together they had: Lalla Oum Zayda, her last name is not retained, together they had: Sultan Moulay Hassan I is also the father of: Moulay Hassan I had a harem of slave concubines ( jawari ), however the precise number of his slave concubines is largely unknown, leaving room for speculation. Only the partial identity of nine of his slave concubines from the Caucasus are known. His descent with them are not specified: Aisha (Ayesha): she

754-476: Is recorded by traditional sources as having been founded by one of these refugees, Fatima al-Fihri , in 859. UNESCO and Guinness World Records consider it the oldest continuously operating university in the world. The Al-Andalusiyyin Mosque (or Mosque of the Andalusians), on the opposite shore of the river, is likewise traditionally believed to have been founded by her sister in the same year. Under

812-462: Is the oldest walled part of Fez , the second largest city of Morocco . Fes el Bali was founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. UNESCO listed Fes el Bali, along with Fes Jdid , as a World Heritage Site in 1981 under the name Medina of Fez . The World Heritage Site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls as well as a buffer zone outside of the walls that

870-403: Is to prevent houses from collapsing, increase sustainable tourism and to safeguard everything. Since 1989 a quasi-governmental agency known as ADER-Fès ( Association pour la dédensification et réhabilitation de Fès-Médina ) has been charged with restoring much of the medina and safeguarding its heritage. In recent years efforts have been underway to restore more of the old medina, ranging from

928-587: The British hoped for the opposite, a reformed Moroccan state which could stand on its own. Aware of this, Mawlay Hassan called for an international conference on the issue, and the Treaty of Madrid was signed on 3 July 1880 to limit the practice, an important event of Mawlay Hassan's reign. Instead of reducing foreign interference, the Makhzen had to grant concessions such as granting foreigners rights to own land in

986-632: The Dades with the majestic gorges of the Todra, Warzazat , the Kasbah of Aït Benhaddou , the high passage along Telouet , the Tichka pass (2260 m) in the high Atlas, Guelmim port of the Western Sahara . The voyage took six months and succeeded in its objective of reuniting and pacifying the tribes of several regions. The Krupp cannon he gave on this occasion to the qaid of Telouet (member of

1044-527: The Fez River . The city is located along both sides of the Fez River (also known as the Oued Bou Khrareb). Although parts of the wall and some of its historic gates have disappeared, Fes el-Bali is still mostly enclosed by a long and winding circuit of defensive walls . These were entered via a number of gates, the most important of which were Bab Mahrouk (though the nearby Bab Bou Jeloud

1102-752: The French Protectorate period in the 20th century. The al-'Uyun district, which covered a very large area in the southeastern region of the Qarawiyyin Quarter, was historically occupied by gardens and rich estates used by the city's wealthy and bourgeois classes. This is attested by the number of historic mansions still existing in this area such as the Dar Moqri and the Dar Glaoui . The name al-'Uyun , "the Sources", referred to

1160-693: The Kasbah Cherarda (also known as the Kasbah al-Khemis) to the northwest of Fes el-Jdid to house a large part of his tribal troops. He also restored or rebuilt what became known as the Kasbah an-Nouar , which became the living quarters of his followers from the Tafilalt region (the Alaouite dynasty's ancestral home). For this reason, the kasbah was also known as the Kasbah Filala ("Kasbah of

1218-886: The Oued Saoura were placed under the authority of the son of the Moroccan khalifa who resided in the Tafilalt. Then, in 1892, a complete administrative organization was established in all of the Gourara-Touat-Tidikelt. The Moroccan Government even went so far as to extend to the qaids of the Touareg of the Ahenet and the Hoggar a formal recognition that they were dependent subjects of the Sultan. In 1892 and 1893,

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1276-584: The Royal Palace by an underground passage, before being fully opened to the public in 1917. After a period of neglect, they were recently renovated between 2006 and 2010 on the initiative of King Mohammed VI and reopened in 2011. The gardens occupy approximately 7.5 hectares . Today they are one of the few rare urban green spaces in the old city and are a popular leisure spot, especially at dusk. They are decorated with colourful fountains and are planted with over 3000 species, including subsections labelled

1334-500: The Sous in 1882 and 1886 , to the Rif in 1887, and to Tafilalt in 1893 . Sultan Hassan I managed to maintain the independence of Morocco while neighbouring states fell under European influence, such as Tunis which was conquered by France in 1881 and Egypt which was occupied by Britain in 1882. Both Spain and France hoped for a weak Makhzen government of Morocco, while

1392-512: The Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Mosque of the Andalusians . These mosques, in turn, are located inside or near the city's main commercial and economic zones. The souk streets themselves constitute the main commercial axes of the city and are home to most of its funduq s (inns for merchants). As a result, merchants and foreign visitors rarely had need to wander outside these areas and most of

1450-535: The "Andalusian Garden", the "Mexican Garden", and the "Bamboo Garden". The garden is regularly open during daylight hours but is normally closed on Mondays. It serves as one of the venues for the annual World Sacred Music Festival . The gardens are located along the course of the local river (the Oued Fes or Oued el-Jawahir ) and the historic water channels which provided water to the old city. Accordingly, some historic norias ( water wheels ) are also located in

1508-531: The 20th century was made during the reign of Moulay Hasan I (1873-1894), who finally connected Fes el-Jdid and Fes el-Bali by building a walled corridor between them. Within this new corridor, between the two cities, were built new gardens and summer palaces used by the royals and the capital's high society, such as the Jnan Sbil Gardens and the Dar Batha palace. In 1912 French colonial rule

1566-669: The Almoravids, Fez lost its status as a capital, which was moved to the newly created Marrakesh . During Almohad rule (12th-13th centuries), Fez was a thriving merchant city, even though it was not a capital. It even became the largest city in the world during that time, with approximately 200,000 people living there. After defeating the Almohads in Morocco, the Marinids moved the capital from Marrakesh back to Fez. This marked

1624-492: The Bou Inania Madrasa-Mosque, and the historically separate agglomeration of Fes el-Jdid. Fes el-Bali is also notable for being a large car-free urban area (approximately 300 hectares), due to the well-preserved urban fabric of traditional narrow streets and alleys unsuitable for cars. Only one major road penetrates the medina from the south, following the course of the river, and reaching Place R'cif near

1682-664: The British Legation in Morocco was informed by Moroccan authorities that the domains of the Sultan Moulay Hassan reached as far as the Senegal River and included the town of Timbuktu and neighboring portions of Sudan , a claim based on the fact that the predecessors of Moulay Hassan had always considered themselves as sovereigns of these regions. Since 1879, the British occupied Tarfaya and built

1740-605: The French administration built new modern cities (the Villes Nouvelles ) just outside the old cities, where European settlers largely resided with modern Western-style amenities. The existence today of a Ville Nouvelle ("New City") alongside a historic medina of Fez was thus a consequence of this early colonial decision-making and had a wider impact on the entire city's development. While new colonial policies preserved historic monuments, it also had other consequences in

1798-654: The Moroccan coastal defences with batteries of large caliber cannon, and in 1888 built an arms factory in Fes known as Dar al-Makina , however production in it was little and costly. To train the reformed Moroccan army, Mawlay Hassan I sent students to London , but in 1876, the sultan hired Harry MacLean, a British officer based in Gibraltar , who designed a military uniform in Arab-style, and learned to speak excellent Arabic . Every year from spring to fall, Mawlay Hassan I

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1856-638: The Moroccans further solidified their control in the Guir - Zouzfana basin and along the oued Saoura by investing with official authority the qaids from all of the nomadic and sedentary tribes of the region (this included the Doui Menia and Oulad Djerir tribes, the most important nomads of the Guir-Zousfana basin; the oasis of Igli ; and the sedentary Beni Goumi people who lived along the banks of

1914-708: The Oued Zouzfana). Sultan Moulay Hassan I married eight times and had a harem of slave concubines. Here is the list of his descendants, first listing his descendants with his wives: Princess Lalla Zaynab bint Abbas their marriage took place before 1875. She is the daughter of Prince Moulay Abbas ben Abd al-Rahman , her mother is a woman named Maimouna. Together they had: Lalla Aliya al-Settatiya, their marriage took place before 1876. Together they had: Lalla Khadija bint al-Arbi, together they had: Lalla Zohra bint al-Hajj Maathi, together they had: Sharifa Lalla Ruqaya Al Amrani , his favorite wife. She

1972-934: The area: one in the eastern part of the gardens and a larger one on the western edge of the gardens. The southern part of the gardens is occupied by a large pool. The far side of the pool is overlooked by the old ramparts of Fes el-Jdid and by a large 16th-century Saadian bastion known as Borj Sheikh Ahmed . 34°03′32.4″N 04°59′16.7″W  /  34.059000°N 4.987972°W  / 34.059000; -4.987972 Hassan I of Morocco Mawlay Hassan bin Mohammed ( Arabic : الحسن بن محمد , romanized :  al-Ḥasan bin Muḥammad ), known as Hassan I ( Arabic : الحسن الأول , romanized :  al-Ḥasan al-Awwal ), born in 1836 in Fes and died on 9 June 1894 in Tadla ,

2030-547: The beginning of the greatest period of the history for Fes. When the Marinids moved the capital to Fez in 1276 they started building a new town outside the old city walls. At first it was called Madinat al-Bayda ("the White City"), but it quickly became known as Fes el-Jdid ("New Fez"), while the old city became known as Fes el-Bali ("Old Fez"). The Marinids built the first true madrasas in Morocco, which include many of

2088-536: The center of the city, which allows access for public transportation and emergency vehicles. The city is broadly divided between two quarters, on opposite shores of the Fez River: the Qarawiyyin Quarter or 'Adwat al-Qarawiyyin (on the western shore) and the Andalusian Quarter or 'Adwat al-Andalus (on the eastern shore). These are further divided into smaller historic neighbourhoods or districts. In

2146-686: The city (the Andalusian Quarter). Qarawiyyin Quarter: Andalusian Quarter: Both the el-Fekharin and Oued ez-Zitoun areas, which occupy the entire eastern region of the Andalusian Quarter beyond the Andalusiyyin Mosque , were largely empty of major constructions prior to the 20th century, with the exception of a few religious structures and funduq s (merchant buildings). These districts only filled up with residential structures during

2204-457: The city during this period. ) The city's original Jewish cemetery was also located near here, just outside the nearby gate of Bab Guissa . According to the UNESCO there are two main threats to this World Heritage Site : Because of the vulnerability of the site the government has adopted a special plan to care for this World Heritage Site and every building and monument it contains. The aim

2262-668: The city's most notable architectural monuments such as the Bou Inania Madrasa , the Al-Attarin Madrasa , and the Sahrij Madrasa . The Saadian dynasty (16th and early 17th centuries), who used Marrakesh again as their capital, did not lavish much attention on Fez, with the exception of the ornate ablutions pavilions added to the Qarawiyyin Mosque's courtyard during their time. They built

2320-601: The cohesion of his kingdom through political, military, and religious action, in the face of European threats on its periphery, and internal rebellions, He initiated reforms. He strived to ensure the loyalty of the great chiefs of the south. He did not hesitate to appoint local qaids like Sheikh Ma al-'Aynayn who gave him the Bay'a , the pledge of allegiance in Islamic Sharia law . He tried to modernize his army, and lead several expeditions to assert his authority, such as to

2378-425: The countryside, something which Great Britain was pushing for all along. This was followed by French incursions into the region of Touat in the south, which was considered Moroccan territory. This treaty effectively gave international approval and protection for lands which had been captured by foreign powers. This set the stage for the French protectorate in Morocco beginning in 1912. In 1879 and again in 1880,

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2436-579: The date she joined the sultan's harem is not specified. Suchet adds a "batch" of four other Circassian women of great beauty and accomplished talents purchased for 100,000 francs in 1878 in Cairo and another three other Circassian slave concubines, without further details. On 9 June 1894, Mawlay Hassan I died from illness near Wadi al-Ubayd in the region of Tadla . Since the army was still in enemy territory, his chamberlain and Grand Wazir Ahmad bin Musa kept

2494-583: The death a secret, ordering the ministers to not reveal the news. The sultan's body was taken to Rabat and buried there, in a qubba next to Dar al-Makhzen which also contains the tomb of his ancestor Sidi Mohammed III . Mawlay Hassan was succeeded by his son Abd al-Aziz , thirteen years old at the time, and ruled under the regency of his father's former Grand Wazir, Ahmad bin Musa , until his death from heart failure in 1900. Fes el Bali Fes el Bali ( Arabic : فاس البالي , romanized :  Fās al-Bālī , lit.   'Old Fes')

2552-422: The early 20th century, French historian Roger Le Tourneau recorded that the city was divided administratively into the 18 neighbourhoods listed below. Le Tourneau noted that the Salwat el-Anfas , a 14th-century chronicle, lists a very similar division of neighbourhoods, even if the borders and names have changed slightly. The name 'Adwat on its own is also used in some sources to refer to the whole eastern shore of

2610-420: The hills to the north, Borj Sud ( Borj al-Janoub ) on the hills to the south, and the Borj Sheikh Ahmed to the west, at a point in Fes el-Jdid's walls that was closest to Fes el-Bali. These were built in the late 16th century, mostly by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur . It was only when the founder of the Alaouite dynasty , Moulay Rashid , took Fez in 1666 that the city saw a revival again, albeit briefly. He built

2668-589: The long-term by stalling urban development in these heritage areas. Wealthy and bourgeois Moroccans started moving into the more modern Ville Nouvelles during the interwar period . By contrast, the old city (medina) of Fez was increasingly settled by poorer rural migrants from the countryside. Today Fes el-Bali and the larger historic medina is a major tourism destination due to its historical heritage. In recent years efforts have been underway to restore and rehabilitate its historic fabric, ranging from restorations of individual monuments to attempts to rehabilitate

2726-418: The now famous Glaoua family) is still on display in the center of Warzazat . In 1881 he founded Tiznit . Hassan I appointed Mouha Zayani as qaid of the Zayanes in Khenifra in 1877. Mouha Zayani was to be an important figure in the 20th century colonial war against France . In 1887 he appointed sheikh Ma al-'Aynayn as his qaid in Western Sahara . Ma al-'Aynayn too played an important role in

2784-503: The people from Tafilalt"). Moulay Isma'il , his successor, chose nearby Meknès as his capital instead, but he did restore or rebuild some major monuments in Fes el-Bali, such as the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II . While the succession conflicts between Moulay Isma'il's sons were another low point in the city's history, the city's fortunes rose more definitively after 1757 with the reign of Moulay Muhammad Ibn Abdallah and under his successors. The last major change to Fez's topography before

2842-431: The presence of many water streams and sources which crossed the district and provided water for its gardens. The name Funduq el-Yihudi ("the Warehouse/Inn of the Jew") reflects the fact that, before the creation of the Mellah in Fes el-Jdid , the Jewish community had been concentrated in this neighbourhood since the time of Idris II (early 9th century). (Although Jews had also lived and worked in many other parts of

2900-449: The rebellion commencing again more violently. The local Fes militiamen took up positions in minarets of Fes al-Bali and fired down on the army, but the two sides later negotiated peace and the rebellion was definitely terminated. Of strong Arab culture, he did not know any foreign language, although Mawlay Hassan I was a conservative ruler, he realised the need for modernization and the reform policy of his father. He strived to maintain

2958-450: The regime within its own territory, and he carried out an active military and diplomatic program on the periphery. He died on 9 June 1894 and was succeeded by his son Abd al-Aziz . other political entities Son of the sultan Muhammad IV , Mawlay (Moulay) Hassan was proclaimed sultan of Morocco on the death of his father in 1873. His first action was to crush an urban revolt in the capital Fes in 1874, which he had to besiege for

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3016-515: The restoration of dozens of individual monuments to attempts to rehabilitate the Fez River . Place Lalla Yeddouna at the heart of the Medina has been recently undergoing reconstruction and preservation measures following a design competition sponsored by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (Washington D.C.) and the Government of the Morocco . The construction projects scheduled for completion in 2016 encompass historic preservation of particular buildings, construction of new buildings that fit into

3074-436: The streets branching off them lead only to local residential lanes (often called derb s), many of them leading to dead-ends. Even today, tourists are generally found only on these main commercial thoroughfares. The city's most important monuments and institutions are also located on or near its main souk streets. Accordingly, the medina has a cohesive and hierarchical urban structure that can be distinguished on two levels. At

3132-403: The struggle for independence of Morocco . Moulay Hassan decided to reinstate the old Moroccan administration in the Gourara - Touat - Tidikelt . The first Moroccan envoys reached the Saharan oases in 1889 and in 1890. In 1891 Moulay Hassan called on the oases peoples to begin paying taxes, thus formalizing the recognition of his suzerainty. That same year the Touat and the oases which lay along

3190-457: Was a sultan of Morocco from 12 September 1873 to 7 June 1894 , as a ruler of the 'Alawi dynasty . He was proclaimed sultan after the death of his father Mawlay Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman . Mawlay Hassan was among the most successful sultans. He increased the power of the makhzen in Morocco and at a time when so much of the rest of Africa was falling under foreign control, he brought in military and administrative reforms to strengthen

3248-404: Was historically the governor's residence and the seat of government control. The Almohad-built Bou Jeloud Mosque still stands there today, one of the only remnants of the original enclosure. As in many medieval Islamic cities, the main souk streets of the city typically run from the city's main gates to the area of the city's main mosque: in this case, the Qarawiyyin and, to a lesser extent,

3306-516: Was instituted over Morocco following the Treaty of Fes . Fez ceased to be the center of power in Morocco as the capital was moved to Rabat , which remained the capital even after independence in 1956. Starting under French resident general Hubert Lyautey , one important policy with long-term consequences was the decision to largely forego redevelopment of existing historic walled cities in Morocco and to intentionally preserve them as sites of historic heritage, still known today as " medinas ". Instead,

3364-406: Was on campaign, and lead expeditions to all parts of the kingdom. One of Mawlay Hassan's campaigns was dealing with the Darqawa uprising near Figuig in the fall of 1887, which was quickly suppressed. Particularly well known is the journey Hassan I undertook in 1893. He went from Fes (leaving on 29 June) to Marrakech , passing through the Tafilalt , the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi , the valley of

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