Fes is the third largest city ofMorocco, with a population of approximately 1 million (2010). The city has twoold medinas, the larger of which is Fes el Bali. It is listed as a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site and is believed to be one of the world's largest car-free urbanareas. Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in AD 859, is the oldest continuously functioningmadrasa in the world. The city has been called the "Mecca of theWest" and the "Athens of Africa".
Bab Mansour: Bab means
"gate" or "door" in Arabic, and Bab Mansour is the largest
and most striking of Meknes' many gates (27 gates). It's directly across from
Place Hedim, the medina's main square.
Place Hedim: Recently
redone with new brickwork, this square once rivaled Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech
but is now significantly less exciting (though there are a few nice cafes and
snack spots in which to people-watch).
Heries-Souani: You can
catch a glimpse of the grandeur of Moulay Ismail at these granaries, and sit
beside the enormous Agdal Basin.
Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail:
Although non-Muslims are not permitted to enter, they can view the tombs, which
hold the body of Moulay Ismail and other relatives, from the entrance.
Volubilis is a partly excavated Roman city in
Morocco situated near Meknes between Fes and Rabat. Built in a fertile
agricultural area, it was developed from the 3rd century BC onwards as a
Phoenician (and later Carthaginian) settlement. It grew rapidly under Roman
rule from the 1st century AD onwards and expanded to cover about 40 hectares
(100 acres) with a 2.6 km (1.6 mi) circuit of walls. The city gained a number
of major public buildings in the 2nd century, including a basilica, temple and
triumphal arch. Its prosperity, which was derived principally from olive
growing, prompted the construction of many fine town-houses with large mosaic
floors.
Chefchaouen or Chaouen is a city innorthwest Morocco. It's situated in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangierand Tetouan. The city was founded in 1471, as a small fortress which stillexists to this day, by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami (a descendantof Ibn Machich and Idris I, and through them, of the prophet Muhammad) to fightthe Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. Along with the Ghomara tribes ofthe region, many Moriscos and Jews settled here after the Spanish Reconquistain medieval times. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part ofSpanish Morocco.
