Fes

Fes or Fez (Arabic فـاس [Fās], French Fès) is the third largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca and Rabat, with a population of 946,815 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane Region.

Fes is one of the four so-called "imperial cities" (the others are Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat). It is separated into three parts, Fes el Bali (the old, walled city), Fes-Jdid (new Fes, home of the Mellah), and the Ville Nouvelle (the French-created, newest section of Fes). The Medina of Fes el Bali, the largest of the two medinas of Fes, is believed to be the largest contiguous carfree urban area in the world. Fes el Bali is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While Fes el-Bali (Old Fes) is indubitably the core fascination of this Imperial City, a quick trip uphill to the Merenid tombs is worth it for the stunning view back across the biblical bowl that is Fes.

Also worth visiting are the Royal Palace and the Mellah (Jewish quarter) in Fes el-Jdid (New Fes). The ville nouvelle, constructed by the French in 1916, impresses with its broad, tree-lined boulevards, and more conventional-style restaurants and shops than can be found in the medina. Further afield, the Imperial City of Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, both only about an hour's drive from Fes, are worth dedicating a day to.

Fes is a city that one cannot fail to be passionate about. The addictive essence of the pounding medina drips into one's veins like a drug that forever leaves you with a thirst to feel more, to dig deeper.