Fez, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco. About 1 million people lived there in 2010. It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region. The city has been called the "Mecca of the West" and the "Athens of Africa".[3]
Fes
Fas / ⴼⴰⵙ / فاس Fez | |
---|---|
![]() View on the old medina of Fes | |
Coordinates: 34°2′N 5°0′W / 34.033°N 5.000°W | |
Country | Morocco |
Region | Fès-Boulemane |
Founded | 789 |
Founded by | Idrisid dynasty |
Government | |
• Mayor | Hamid Chabat |
• Governor | Mohamed Rerrhabi |
Elevation | 1,258.9 ft (383.7 m) |
Population (2004)[1] | |
• Total | 1,044,376 |
Official name | Medina of Fez |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | iii, iv |
Designated | 1981 |
Reference no. | [2] |
State Party | Morocco |
Region | Arab States |
Fez is the former capital. It is one of the country's four "imperial cities". The others are Rabat, Marrakech and Meknes.
"Fas el Bali", one part of the city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fes has a football team, MAS Fez. They play in the Botola the highest tier of the Moroccan football system. They play their home matches at the 45,000 seat Complexe Sportif de Fès stadium.
Main sights
changeFez is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. Many non-Moroccans are now restoring traditional houses (riads and dars) as second homes in the Fez medina. The most important monuments in the city are:
- Bou Inania Madrasa
- Al-Attarine Madrasa
- University of Al-Karaouine
- Zaouia Moulay Idriss II
- Dar al-Magana
- Aben Danan Synagogue
-
Fez medina.
-
Bab Bou Jeloud, "The Blue Gate" of Fez.
Notable residents
change- Muhammad XII of Granada, last Moorish king of Al-Andalus.
- Jamal Fakir, French international rugby league player.
- Madame Guinaudeau, French cookery and travel writer.[4]
International relations
changeTwin towns — Sister cities
changeFez is twinned with:
- Montpellier, France, since 1961
- Strasbourg, France, since 1961
- Florence, Italy, since 1961
- Kairouan, Tunisia, since 1965
- Saint Louis, Senegal, since 1979
- Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain, since 1982
- İzmir, Turkey, since 1995[5]
- Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, since 2003
- Suwon, South Korea, since 2003
- Coimbra, Portugal[6]
- Lahore, Pakistan
- Puebla, Mexico
Partnerships
changeReferences
change- ↑ "Morocco 2004 Census". Archived from the original on 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Medina of Fez – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 2017-09-19. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
- ↑ "History of Fes". Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ Author of 'Traditional Moroccan Cooking, Recipes from Fez'. (Serif, London, 2003). ISBN 1-897959-43-5
- ↑ "Sister cities of İzmir (1/7)" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ "Acordos de Geminação" (in Portuguese). © 2009 Câmara Municipal de Coimbra – Praça 8 de Maio – 3000-300 Coimbra. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ↑ "Kraków otwarty na świat". www.krakow.pl. Retrieved 2009-07-19.