Few cities on earth disorient and delight in equal measure the way Fes el-Bali does. This companion post accompanies a real fes walking tour filmed through the world’s oldest living medina — a UNESCO-listed labyrinth of more than 9,000 lanes where cars have never driven and the pace of medieval life has barely shifted since the 9th century. The video by the channel that produced Fez (Morocco) — A Walking Tour Through the World’s Oldest and Largest Medina (4K) captures the sensory overload of the souks, the rooftop views of the Chouara Tannery, and the grandeur of Marinid-era architecture in stunning 4K.

About This Walking Tour

This 4K walking tour moves through Fes el-Bali — the medina that UNESCO designates as the world’s largest car-free urban area. The route takes in the iconic Bab Bou Jeloud Blue Gate, the main artery of Talaa Kebira, and the extraordinary Al-Attarine Madrasa adjacent to the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque. One of the most visually arresting stops is the Chouara Tannery, best viewed from a leather-goods terrace overlooking the stone dyeing vats — an operation unchanged in its fundamentals since the 11th century. The video also passes through the Zaouia of Moulay Idris II and ventures into Fes el-Jdid, the 13th-century annex with its former Jewish Mellah and the golden doors of the Royal Palace.

Fes el-Bali is genuinely disorienting — the lanes narrow to shoulder width, donkeys carry deliveries where no vehicle could go, and even locals use landmarks rather than street names to navigate. This 4K film gives armchair travellers a rare sense of the medina’s scale and density while also pointing out the carved stucco and zellige tilework that make every madrasa and fountain an exercise in Marinid craftsmanship. The Fes medina rewards slow walking, and the video reflects that unhurried approach throughout.

Highlights of Fes

The Bab Bou Jeloud, Fes el-Bali’s main gate, is tiled in blue on the city-facing side (the colour of Fes) and green on the medina side (the colour of Islam) — making it the most photographed threshold in Morocco. From here, Talaa Kebira stretches downhill as the medina’s broadest street, still only a few metres wide, lined with spice traders, bread ovens, and mule carts.

The Al-Attarine Madrasa, built in 1325 by the Marinid sultan, presents what many architectural historians consider the finest zellige tilework in Morocco — three tiers of carved cedar, stucco, and ceramic mosaic converging on a fountain courtyard. Nearby, the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University, founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri, is recognised by UNESCO and the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest continuously operating university; non-Muslims may not enter but the ornate doors and library courtyard are visible from the lanes.

The Chouara Tannery is the medina’s most famous sight: circular stone vats filled with white lime, pigeon droppings (a softening agent), and natural dyes — saffron for yellow, indigo for blue, poppy for red — worked by hand as they have been for a thousand years. The Mellah in Fes el-Jdid preserves the city’s once-thriving Jewish quarter, and the golden gates of the Royal Palace nearby are among the most ornate in Morocco.

A Brief History of Fes

Fes was founded in 789 AD by Moulay Idris I, the great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, making it one of the oldest Islamic cities in the world. His son, Moulay Idris II, expanded the city in the early 9th century, and it rapidly became the religious, intellectual, and economic capital of the Maghreb. The founding of Al-Qarawiyyin University in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri — a woman of Tunisian origin — established Fes as the Islamic world’s foremost centre of learning, attracting scholars from across North Africa, Andalusia, and the Middle East.

Under the Marinid dynasty (13th–15th centuries) Fes reached its architectural zenith: the madrasas of Al-Attarine, Bou Inania, and Cherratine were built during this period, each a masterpiece of Moroccan decorative arts. The city was eclipsed politically by Marrakech and later Rabat but its medina remained largely intact — no Haussmann-style renovations, no modern roads punched through the fabric. UNESCO inscribed Fes el-Bali on the World Heritage List in 1981. Today the medina’s 9,000 streets house an estimated 156,000 people, and the Chouara tannery continues to supply the leather goods shops that line the lanes above it.

Practical Tips

Morocco’s currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD); credit cards are accepted at hotels and some shops but cash is essential in the medina. Arabic and Darija (Moroccan Arabic) are the primary languages; French is widely spoken and useful for navigating. The medina is entirely car-free — all movement is on foot or by donkey, and the lanes are genuinely confusing even with a map or phone. A licensed guide (available from the official guide bureau near Bab Bou Jeloud) is strongly recommended for a first visit. Fes-Saïs Airport is approximately 12 km from the medina; trains from Casablanca take around 3.5 hours. Dress modestly as a sign of respect, especially near mosques and shrines. Tannery viewpoints are accessed through leather shops — a small purchase is customary but not compulsory.

Best Time to Visit

March to May and September to November offer the most comfortable temperatures for walking the medina, with daytime highs in the low-to-mid 20s Celsius. The medina is best explored in the morning before the heat builds and the lanes become crowded. July and August are very hot; the Ramadan period brings a quieter daytime medina but vibrant evenings. November to February can be cool and occasionally rainy but the light is beautiful and crowds are thin.

Watch & Explore More

Press play on the embedded video above to walk through the world’s most intact medieval Islamic city in 4K detail. For more North African walking experiences on our channel, explore Marrakech: Jemaa el-Fna and the Souks and Tangier: Kasbah to the Medina. Subscribe to @walkingtoursvideoscom for new walking tour films every week.