Fez Medina
Founded in the ninth century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fez reached its height in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, under the Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina roots in this period: madrasah, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques, fountains, etc.. Despite the transfer of the registered capital of Rabat, in 1912, has retained its status of cultural and spiritual capital of the country.
Other languages:
English French Spanish Arabic Chinese Russian
Panoramic © Barbara Blanchard More images ...
Outstanding universal value
Brief summary
The medina of Fez retains, in a piecemeal former high concentrations of monuments, the memory of the capital founded by the dynasty Idrisid between 789 and 808 AD. The original town consisted of two large and fortified neighborhoods separated by the Wadi Fez: the shore of the Andalusians and that of Kairouan. In the eleventh century, the Almoravids met the city within one wall and under the Almohad dynasty (twelfth and thirteenth centuries), the original town (Fes el-Bali) already took its present size. Under the Merinids (thirteenth-fifteenth century), a new city (Fez Jedid) was founded (in 1276) west of the former (Fez el-Bali). It houses the Royal Palace, the headquarters of the army, fortifications and residential areas. By this time, both entities of the medina of Fez evolve symbiotically constitute one of the great Islamic cities embody a wide variety of architectural forms and urban landscapes. They include a considerable number of monuments of a religious, civil and military materialize a culture of multiple influences. This architecture is characterized by techniques of construction and decoration developed over more than ten centuries, and which mingled with the knowledge and local know-how and inspiration of different external (Andalusian, Eastern, and African). The Fez medina is considered one of the largest historic cities and best preserved of Arab-Muslim world. Urban space carriage will not keep most of its functions and responsibilities of origin. It is not only an architectural, archaeological and unique urban, but it also conveys a lifestyle, know-how and a culture that persist and recur in spite of the various effects of changes in modern societies.
Criterion (ii): The Fez medina is a living testimony to a flourishing city of the West Mediterranean with considerable influence mainly from the twelfth to the fifteenth century, the development of architecture, monumental arts and the urban development, particularly in North Africa, Andalusia and in sub-Saharan Africa. Fez Jadid (the New), was inspired by the urban model of anterior Marrakech.
Criterion (v): The Fez medina is an outstanding example of a medieval city founded in the earliest centuries of Islamization of Morocco and embodying an original type of human settlement and land-traditional representative of urban culture Moroccan on a long historical period (ninth in the early twentieth century). The former plot with its high density of monuments of a religious, civil and military of the medina are the witnesses of this culture and the result of its interaction with various layers of settlement that determined the variety of architectural forms and townscape .
Integrity (2009)
The delimitation of the property inscribed on the World Heritage List is clear and appropriate and it includes all the urban fabric and the walls. The protection zone defined by the decrees of August 23, 1923 and October 29, 1954 adequately protects the visual integrity. The medina of Fez includes an urban fabric that has remained remarkably consistent and intact over the centuries. The main problems that we see concerning the dilapidated buildings and the overdensity of the occupation of space. The edge of the medina are integral to the quality of the visual aspect of its environment and must be kept non-building zone. They are vulnerable to uncontrolled urban development pressures.
Authenticity (2009)
All key elements that make up this reflect a full and clear the outstanding universal value. The survival of traditional architectural expertise, particularly in the construction trades and architectural decoration, is a major asset in maintaining the values of the property. The Ministry of Culture is trying with difficulty to bring the various stakeholders to respect the authenticity of the property.
Needs protection and management (2009)
The Fez medina is protected by local and national legislation to strengthen protection and, locally, was inscribed on the World Heritage List, including Decree No. 2-81-25 of 22 October 1981 for the application of Law No. 22-80 concerning the conservation of historic monuments and sites, inscriptions, art objects and antiques.
Taking into account the vulnerability of the property, the State has adopted a development plan of the medina in 2001. The frequency of reassessment of the plan is 10 years. It contains specific provisions for the former sector, and is called to streamline and organize urban interventions required. As part of a program to promote regional tourism, local authorities have taken action for the Protection of derelict houses and rehabilitation of important monuments of the medina. The implementation of this program is entrusted to the Agency of De-densification and Rehabilitation of the Fez medina. The inspection of historical monuments under the Ministry of Culture and monitors and supervision of these projects in accordance with national and international standards in conservation of historical monuments.
Long Description
The Holy City of Fez, a jewel of Spanish-Arabic civilization, is outstanding year and well-preserved example of ancient capital of the year and the Almoravids Almohads in the North African context, despite the destruction of the city and the transfer of the capital to Rabat. The Medina of Fez in ict old, densely packed buildings - madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains - is the memory of the Capital Founded in year 192 of the Hegira (808) by Idriss II.
The ancient city, home to The Oldest university in the world, is Composed of Two separate centers. One is the quarter of the Andalusians, a population That Fled from the masters of Umayyad Cordoba and Who to settle definitively cam on the right bank of the Fez. The Other is the quarter of the Quarawiyyia, people have emigrated from Kairouan in the 11th century Who thing the left bank of the river to Develop Their activities.
Despite the destruction of a considerable proportion of the city by the Almoravids, the dynasty That Took power in the 11th century, The Two Two quarters Grouped around major monuments, the Jama el Andalus (the Mosque of the Andalusians) and the mosque of El Karaouiyne , Have Preserved Their identities intact in the old city of Fez el Bali.
In the 13th century, the after the conquest Merinid, When the city found soi constrained Within icts walls, a new city, Fes el Jadid, WAS Founded Directly to the west, in ah 674 by the Sultan Abu Yusuf. It mittal Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. In the 14th century a Jewish quarter, the Mellah, WAS joined to the newly Founded city. The urban fabric and the main monuments in the Medina dates from this extended period.
Since then, the twin cities has led Have symbiotic existence without Losing Their Own character. Fez is at once astonishing year city-museum and one of the Largest Islamic metropolises In Which the demography: various strata Have Determined the greatest Variety of architectural forms and urban landscapes.
Having beens deserted since 1912 to the advantage of the modern city, the capital of Morocco politique WAS Transferred to Rabat, Fez goal HAS icts Retained status as the country's cultural and spiritual center.
