Roots EarthAll cities

Morocco · Africa

Roots Earth in Fez: audio stories about 46 places

Roots Earth has audio stories about 46 places in Fez, Morocco, in Africa. The Fez stories are in all seven Roots Earth languages: English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian. The app needs no account: open Fez, pick a place on the city's map of places and play. Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection. The stories are written by local people.

The 46 places are listed below in the order the app shows them, and again further down with their coordinates. The lists were taken from the Roots Earth catalogue on 15 September 2026.

Published 16 September 2026. Markdown: fez.md

The 46 places in Fez with audio stories

In the order the app shows them.

  1. University of al-Qarawiyyin
  2. Bou Inania Madrasa
  3. Zawiya of Moulay Idris II
  4. Al-Attarine Madrasa
  5. Chouara Tannery
  6. Bab Bou Jeloud
  7. Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts
  8. Dar Batha
  9. Marinid Tombs
  10. Royal Palace of Fez
  11. Mosque of the Andalusians
  12. Cherratine Madrasa
  13. Sahrij Madrasa
  14. Dar al-Magana
  15. Chrabliyine Mosque
  16. Zawiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani
  17. Great Mosque of Fes el-Jdid
  18. Bab Dekkakin
  19. Borj Nord
  20. Ibn Danan Synagogue
  21. Jnan Sbil Gardens
  22. Place Seffarine
  23. Maristan of Sidi Frej
  24. Kasbah Cherarda
  25. Bou Jeloud Mosque
  26. Funduq Sagha
  27. Funduq Shamma'in
  28. Jamai Palace
  29. R'cif Mosque
  30. Place Bou Jeloud
  31. Fez Stadium
  32. Fes el Bali
  33. Fes Jdid
  34. Mellah of Fez
  35. Tala'a Kebira
  36. Bab Ftouh
  37. Bab Guissa
  38. Bab Semmarine
  39. Kissariat al-Kifah
  40. Oued Fes
  41. Bab Ftouh Cemetery
  42. Sidi Harazem
  43. Kairaouine Quarter
  44. Andalusian Quarter
  45. Seffarine Coppersmiths' Souk
  46. Fès–Saïss Airport

Is there an audio guide for University of al-Qarawiyyin?

Yes. University of al-Qarawiyyin has its audio stories in the Roots Earth app: a short introduction and a deeper story, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian.

It is place 1 of the 46 Fez places in the app, at 34.06444, -4.97333. Every one of the other 45 places in the list above has the same two stories.

Roots Earth is not a guided tour: you choose the place on the city's map of places and play its story yourself.

How to use Roots Earth in Fez

Open Roots Earth and choose Fez. The city has its own map of places with all 46 of them on it. Tap the place you are standing in front of, or any other, and play its short introduction or its deeper story. You decide what to listen to and in which order.

You can listen in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian, and there is no account. Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection.

In full

All 46 places in Fez, in the app's order, with their coordinates.

All 46 places in Fez, with coordinates

Every place below has a short introduction and a deeper story in the Roots Earth app, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian. The names, the coordinates (latitude, longitude) and the one line descriptions are the app's own catalogue values of 15 September 2026; a place without a line here has none that this page can print.

1. University of al-Qarawiyyin

Coordinates
34.06444, -4.97333
In one line
Founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, this mosque and place of learning is often called the oldest continuously operating university on Earth. Its green-tiled minaret, marble courtyard, and ancient library anchor the spiritual heart of Fez.

2. Bou Inania Madrasa

Coordinates
34.06194, -4.98278
In one line
Built between 1350 and 1355 by the Marinid sultan Abu Inan Faris, this grand madrasa is the only one in Fez with its own minaret. Carved cedar, glowing onyx, and intricate zellij tilework surround its marble courtyard, open to visitors of all faiths.

3. Zawiya of Moulay Idris II

Coordinates
34.06485, -4.97472
In one line
The holiest shrine in Fez holds the tomb of Moulay Idris II, who made the city his capital and died in 828. Rebuilt by the Alaouites in the early 18th century, its golden roof, brass screens, and candlelit interior draw pilgrims year-round.

4. Al-Attarine Madrasa

Coordinates
34.06508, -4.97369
In one line
Built between 1323 and 1325 by the Marinid sultan Abu Said Uthman II, this small madrasa is prized for its exquisite carved stucco and zellij. Named for the neighboring spice and perfume souk, it sits beside al-Qarawiyyin in the heart of the medina.

5. Chouara Tannery

Coordinates
34.06609, -4.97098
In one line
The Chouara Tannery is the largest and best known of Fez's medieval leather works, a honeycomb of stone dye pits where hides are still cured and colored by hand using methods little changed since the Middle Ages.

6. Bab Bou Jeloud

Coordinates
34.06167, -4.98389
In one line
Bab Bou Jeloud is the grand western gateway into Fes el-Bali, a triple-arched portal built in 1913 under the French Protectorate. Its outer face glows blue, its inner face green, framing the medina's minarets beyond.

7. Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts

Coordinates
34.06476, -4.97595
In one line
Housed in a restored caravanserai completed in 1711, the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts displays Morocco's woodworking tradition around a three-storey galleried courtyard, beside the ornate Nejjarine fountain in the carpenters' square.

8. Dar Batha

Coordinates
34.0605, -4.9828
In one line
A late 19th-century Hispano-Moorish palace at the edge of the medina, built for Sultan Hassan the First. Today it is a museum of Fez arts, famous for its blue ceramics, carved woodwork, and a tranquil Andalusian garden.

9. Marinid Tombs

Coordinates
34.06977, -4.97924
In one line
Ruined royal mausoleums from the 14th century, raised by the Marinid dynasty on the hill north of the old city.

10. Royal Palace of Fez

Coordinates
34.055, -4.99333
In one line
A working royal residence founded by the Marinids in 1276 and still used by Morocco's king. Its vast grounds stay closed to the public, but the monumental brass gates on Place des Alaouites, framed in zellij and carved cedar, are among the city's great sights.

11. Mosque of the Andalusians

Coordinates
34.06319, -4.96822
In one line
Founded in 859 by Maryam, sister of Fatima al-Fihriya, the Mosque of the Andalusians is one of the city's oldest mosques. Its monumental Almohad gateway and square minaret anchor the quarter across the river from al-Qarawiyyin.

12. Cherratine Madrasa

Coordinates
34.06403, -4.97389
In one line
Built in 1670 by the Alaouite sultan Moulay al-Rashid, the Cherratine Madrasa is a large student residence near al-Qarawiyyin. Plainer than its Marinid forerunners, its multi-storey cells once housed up to 150 scholars.

13. Sahrij Madrasa

Coordinates
34.06289, -4.96869
In one line
Named for the reflecting pool at its heart, the Sahrij Madrasa was built between 1321 and 1323 by the Marinid prince who became Sultan Abu al-Hasan. It holds some of the earliest zellij tilework in any Moroccan madrasa.

14. Dar al-Magana

Coordinates
34.0622, -4.9824
In one line
Dar al-Magana is a Marinid water clock built in 1357 by Sultan Abu Inan Faris, facing the Bou Inania Madrasa. Its facade of twelve windows and brass bowls once marked the hours, though the mechanism has long been lost.

15. Chrabliyine Mosque

Coordinates
34.06486, -4.97781
In one line
A Marinid-era mosque on Tala'a Kebira, founded in the 14th century and restored under the Alaouite sultan Moulay Slimane. Its tiled minaret rises over the old slipper-makers' quarter of the Fez medina.

16. Zawiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani

Coordinates
34.0664, -4.9733
In one line
Built in 1800 in the Blida quarter of old Fez, this Sufi shrine holds the tomb of Ahmad al-Tijani, founder of the Tijaniyya order. It draws pilgrims from across West Africa, especially Senegal.

17. Great Mosque of Fes el-Jdid

Coordinates
34.05748, -4.99163
In one line
Founded in 1276 alongside the new royal city of Fes el-Jdid, this Marinid congregational mosque stands near the Royal Palace. Its square minaret and richly carved prayer hall anchored the dynasty's administrative quarter.

18. Bab Dekkakin

Coordinates
34.05867, -4.99136
In one line
A monumental Marinid gateway from around 1276, Bab Dekkakin once guarded the approach to the Royal Palace of Fes el-Jdid. Its name, the Gate of the Benches, recalls those who waited here for a royal audience.

19. Borj Nord

Coordinates
34.06714, -4.98489
In one line
Built in 1582 by the Saadi sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, this hilltop fortress north of the medina was modeled on Portuguese military design. It now houses Morocco's Arms Museum and commands sweeping views over old Fez.

20. Ibn Danan Synagogue

Coordinates
34.0523, -4.9922
In one line
Built around 1680 by a wealthy merchant in the Mellah, the Jewish quarter of Fez, this synagogue survives with its carved Torah ark, tiled walls and hidden ritual bath. A 1990s restoration saved it for visitors today.

21. Jnan Sbil Gardens

Coordinates
34.059, -4.98797
In one line
A royal garden laid out in the 19th century by Sultan Moulay Hassan I, Jnan Sbil spreads over roughly seven and a half hectares between the two old cities. Opened to the public in 1917, it remains a rare green refuge in Fez.

22. Place Seffarine

Coordinates
34.06419, -4.97281
In one line
A medieval square near the Qarawiyyin where coppersmiths have hammered metal for centuries. Ringed by workshops and shaded by a plane tree, it still rings with the sound of brass and copper being shaped by hand.

23. Maristan of Sidi Frej

Coordinates
34.06514, -4.975
In one line
The Maristan of Sidi Frej is a Marinid-era hospital founded around 1286 by Sultan Abu Yaqub Yusuf. For centuries it treated the sick and the troubled near the heart of Fes el-Bali.

24. Kasbah Cherarda

Coordinates
34.06222, -4.99139
In one line
Kasbah Cherarda is a vast 17th-century fortress built in 1666 by the Alaouite sultan Moulay al-Rashid to garrison his tribal troops. Its long ramparts still guard the northern edge of Fes el-Jdid.

25. Bou Jeloud Mosque

Coordinates
34.06106, -4.98458
In one line
The Bou Jeloud Mosque is one of the oldest monuments in Fez, an Almohad foundation from around 1200. Its Marinid minaret of 1248 carries the first dated Marinid inscription on any building.

26. Funduq Sagha

Coordinates
34.06611, -4.97456
In one line
Funduq Sagha is an early-18th-century caravanserai built in 1711 during the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Its three-storey galleried courtyard once hosted merchants and goldsmiths at the heart of Fez.

27. Funduq Shamma'in

Coordinates
34.06442, -4.97411
In one line
Funduq Shamma'in is a medieval caravanserai dating from the 13th century, restored around 1290 under the Marinid sultan Abu Yaqub. Once an auction market and craft workshop, it now serves the medina's traditional artisans.

28. Jamai Palace

Coordinates
34.06917, -4.97417
In one line
Jamai Palace is a late-19th-century Moroccan mansion begun in 1879 for the Jamai brothers, grand viziers to Sultan Moulay Hassan. Set near Bab Guissa, it later became a celebrated luxury hotel.

29. R'cif Mosque

Coordinates
34.06254, -4.97331
In one line
The R'cif Mosque is a grand Alaouite mosque built around 1800 under Sultan Moulay Slimane, beside Place R'cif. One of the city's tallest minarets rises above the buried Bou Khrareb River.

30. Place Bou Jeloud

Coordinates
34.06111, -4.98611
In one line
Place Bou Jeloud is the broad square just outside the famous Blue Gate, a meeting point between old and new Fez. Once a military parade ground from the Almohad era, it now bustles with cafes, foot traffic, and festival stages.

31. Fez Stadium

Coordinates
34.00283, -4.96885
In one line
Fez Stadium is the city's modern sports complex, home to the football club Maghreb de Fes. Completed in 2003 and inaugurated in 2007, its glass facade and large bowl rank it among Morocco's major arenas, selected for international tournaments.

32. Fes el Bali

Coordinates
34.0625, -4.9725
In one line
Fes el-Bali is the ancient walled medina of Fez, founded by the Idrisid dynasty around 789 and 809.

33. Fes Jdid

Coordinates
34.05528, -4.99028
In one line
Fes el-Jdid is the "New Fez," founded in 1276 by the Marinid dynasty as a royal and administrative city. Home to the vast Royal Palace, the Mellah, and the Great Mosque, it remains a quieter, more orderly neighbor to the ancient medina.

34. Mellah of Fez

Coordinates
34.05247, -4.99189
In one line
The Mellah of Fez is Morocco's first Jewish quarter, established in the 15th century within Fes el-Jdid beside the Royal Palace. Its balconied, street-facing houses, historic synagogues, and old cemetery preserve the memory of a once-thriving community.

35. Tala'a Kebira

Coordinates
34.0625, -4.98
In one line
Tala'a Kebira, the "Great Climb," is the main artery of the Fes el-Bali medina.

36. Bab Ftouh

Coordinates
34.05983, -4.96531
In one line
Bab Ftouh, the "Gate of the Opening," is the great southeastern gate of Fes el-Bali. Rebuilt in Almohad style around 1212 and restored under the Alaouites, it guards the medina beside a vast historic cemetery and the old potters' quarter.

37. Bab Guissa

Coordinates
34.06884, -4.97573
In one line
Bab Guissa is the northwestern gate of Fes el-Bali, first raised in the eleventh century and rebuilt in 1212. A mosque and madrasa stand inside it, and storytellers once performed at its threshold.

38. Bab Semmarine

Coordinates
34.05421, -4.99006
In one line
Bab Semmarine is the monumental southern gate of Fes el-Jdid, built around 1276 by the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub. Its name, Gate of the Farriers, recalls the blacksmiths who once worked nearby.

39. Kissariat al-Kifah

Coordinates
34.06494, -4.97428
In one line
Kissariat al-Kifah is the prestigious covered bazaar at the heart of Fes el-Bali, trading luxury cloth, silk, slippers, and jewelry since the Idrisid era and rebuilt many times after fires and floods.

40. Oued Fes

Coordinates
34.07749, -4.92497
In one line
Oued Fes is the river that gave the medina its life, rising at Ras al-Ma and threading through the old city in canals that powered tanneries, mills, fountains, and a famous twenty-six-meter waterwheel.

41. Bab Ftouh Cemetery

Coordinates
34.0598, -4.9648
In one line
Spreading below the southeastern gate of Fes el-Bali, the Bab Ftouh Cemetery holds the graves of saints, scholars, and citizens, including the Alaouite founder Moulay Rashid beneath his green pyramidal roof.

42. Sidi Harazem

Coordinates
34.0181, -4.93
In one line
Sidi Ali ibn Harzihim, known as Sidi Harazem, was a twelfth-century Sufi master of Fez who died around 1163. His shrine draws pilgrims, and a thermal spring near the city still bears his name.

43. Kairaouine Quarter

Coordinates
34.064, -4.9735
In one line
The Kairaouine Quarter is the western half of Fes el-Bali, settled by refugees from Kairouan and home to the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, founded in 859, the spiritual and scholarly core of the medina.

44. Andalusian Quarter

Coordinates
34.0632, -4.9682
In one line
The Andalusian Quarter spreads across the eastern bank of the Fez River, settled by refugees from Cordoba in the 9th century. Its winding lanes, old mosque, and quiet courtyards form one half of the original medina.

45. Seffarine Coppersmiths' Souk

Coordinates
34.06419, -4.97281
In one line
Place Seffarine is the coppersmiths' square of Fes el-Bali, ringing with the sound of hammered metal. Set beside the Qarawiyyin, it has been the city's brass and copper market for centuries, its workshops still tended by hand.

46. Fès–Saïss Airport

Coordinates
33.92722, -4.97778
In one line
Fès–Saïss Airport sits on the plateau about 13 kilometers south of the medina, the city's gateway by air. Its single runway and growing terminal link Fez to Europe, carrying well over a million travelers a year.

Roots Earth in short

Roots Earth has audio stories about 5,665 places in 130 cities, 25 countries and 6 regions, written by local people.

  • No account
  • Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection
  • Audio stories in English and German in every city, and in Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian in 126 of the 130 cities

Roots Earth for Android is available on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rootsearth.app.