- Site Name
- Medina of fez.
- UNESCO reference number
- 170
- Property Area
- n/a
- Universal Value
- Its Outstanding Universal Value is that it is one of the most extensive and best-preserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world, showing a living medieval urban fabric, architecture, and traditional culture that have endured for more than a millennium
- Geography & Setting
- The Medina of Fez is a dense, walled historic quarter in north-central Morocco, set in the lower valleys around the Fez wadi and split into the older Fez el-Bali and the later Fez Jdid. It sits in the country’s cultural heartland and is described as a living medieval urban landscape, with narrow pedestrian streets, monuments, and neighborhoods packed inside the old city walls
- History & Story
- The Medina of Fez began in the 9th century under the Idrisid dynasty and grew into Morocco’s main center of learning, trade, and religion. It reached its peak in the 13th–14th centuries under the Marinids, then kept its cultural and spiritual importance even after the capital moved to Rabat in 1912.
- Legal protection & management
- The Medina of Fez is legally protected by Moroccan national and local heritage laws, including the 1981 decree that enforces Law 22-80 on historic monuments, sites, inscriptions, art objects, and antiquities. Its management is handled through a 2001 development plan, with implementation entrusted to the Agency for De-densification and Rehabilitation of the Medina of Fez, while the Ministry of Culture oversees historic monument conservation
- Visitor experience
- The visitor experience is a sensory, maze-like walk through a living medieval city: narrow alleys, busy souks, traditional crafts, historic madrasas, and strong local culture. It can feel overwhelming at first, so guided tours and comfortable walking shoes are often recommended.
