Fes el Bali

Fes el Bali (Arabic: فاس البالي, romanized: Fās al-Bālī, lit. 'Old Fes') is the oldest part of Fez, Morocco. It is one of the three main districts of Fez, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created Ville Nouvelle ('New City'). Together with Fes Jdid, it forms the medina (historic quarter) of Fez, significant for the preservation of its pre-modern urban layout and numerous historic monuments, which have earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Fes el Bali was founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. It was originally composed of two separate towns on either side of the Fez River which subsequently merged under the Almoravids (11th–12th centuries). Even when Marrakesh replaced it as the political capital, it continued to thrive in subsequent centuries thanks to its economic and religious importance. In the 13th century, the Marinid dynasty built Fes Jdid as a new administrative capital next to Fes el Bali.

Fes el Bali district still largely retains much of its historic fabric of market (suq) streets and narrow winding alleys, along with large sections of its historic city walls. At its heart is the historic al-Qarawiyyin University, centered around a mosque founded in the 9th century. Among the other major historic landmarks are the Chouara Tanneries and various mosques, madrasas, hammams, caravanserais and residences that constitute important examples of traditional Moroccan and Moorish architecture.

UNESCO listed Fes el Bali, along with Fes Jdid, as a World Heritage Site in 1981 under the name Medina of Fez. The World Heritage Site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls as well as a buffer zone outside of the walls that is intended to preserve the visual integrity of the location.