Fes el Bali
Encyclopedia
- Fes el Bali is not to be confused with the newer and smaller medina, Fes JdidFes JdidFes Jdid is one of the 3 parts of Fes, Morocco. It was founded by the Marinids in 1276 as an extension to Fes el Bali....
, which was founded by the Marinid dynasty in 1276.
Fes el Bali is the oldest and walled part of Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. Fes el Bali was originally founded as the capital of the Idrisid Dynasty in between 789 and 808 AD . Besides being famous for having the oldest university in the world Fes el Bali, with a total population of 156 000, is also believed to be the biggest car-free urban area in the world .
Fes el Bali was listed by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as a world heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1981 under the name Medina of Fes. The world heritage site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls and a buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
around Fes el Bali .
Fes el Bali is, along with Fes Jdid
Fes Jdid
Fes Jdid is one of the 3 parts of Fes, Morocco. It was founded by the Marinids in 1276 as an extension to Fes el Bali....
and the French-created Ville nouvelle, one out the 3 main districts in Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
.
Idrisid Dynasty 789-986
As the capital for his newly acquired empireIdrisid
The Idrisids were a Zaydi-Shia dynasty of Arab origins in Morocco, ruling from 788 to 985, named after its first leader, Idriss I.-History:...
chose to build a new town on the right bank of the Fes river in 789 a.d. Initially a big proportion of the population were refugees who were fleeing from a uprising in Cordoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
(modern-day Spain)
However in 809 a.d. his son,
Idris
Idris may refer to:* Idris, a fictional dragon in Ivor the Engine* Idris, the TARDIS personified in the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Wife"* Idris , giant and astronomer of Welsh tradition...
, decided to found a capital of his own on the opposite bank of the Fes River. There were many refugees who decided to settle in the new city this time too, however this time they fle from a uprising in Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
(located in modern Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
)
Even though they were only separated by a relatively small river the cities developed separately and became two individual cities until they were unified in the 11th century.
One good example of how the refugees contributed to making Fes flourish during the early years is the University of Al-Karaouine that was built by a Tunisian refugee in 859 AD and it is considered the oldest university in the world .
MaghrawaMaghrawaThe Maghrawa or Meghrawa were a Berber tribe in Morocco and central and western Algeria.-History:The Meghrawa, a tribe of Zanata Berbers, were one of the first Berber tribes to submit to Islam in the 7th century. They supported Uqba ibn Nafi in his campaign to the Atlantic in 683...
985-1069
Under the Berber Maghrawa rule Fes el Bali was flourishing and it was the capital of their kingdom in modern day MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
Almoravid and Almohad dynasty 1069–1244
Under the lmoravid dynasty|Almoravids], Fes lost its status as a capital when the Almoravids created MarrakechMarrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, which they made their capital.
The Almoravids destroyed large parts of Fes el Bali but managed to create modern-day Fes el Bali when they united the twin cities by tearing down that separated them and by building bridges across the Fes river.
During Almohad rule, Fes was a thriving merchant city with approximately 120,000 even though it was not a capital, much thanks to a large number of Andalusian immigrants.
Marinid dynasty 1244–1472
After defeating the Almoravids in MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, the Marinids moved the capital from Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
to Fes . This marked the beginning of the greatest period of the history for Fes el Bali . When the Marinids moved the capital to Fes in 1276 they started building a new town outside the old city walls. At first it was called the white city but after a while it got a new name; Fes Jdid
Fes Jdid
Fes Jdid is one of the 3 parts of Fes, Morocco. It was founded by the Marinids in 1276 as an extension to Fes el Bali....
, or new Fes. This is when Fes el Bali, or the old Fes, got its name too. Before Fes Jdid
Fes Jdid
Fes Jdid is one of the 3 parts of Fes, Morocco. It was founded by the Marinids in 1276 as an extension to Fes el Bali....
was founded it was simply called Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
.
Most of the principal monuments in Fes el Bali was built during the Marinids. In the 14th century a mellah
Mellah
A mellah is a walled Jewish quarter of a city in Morocco, an analogue of the European ghetto...
was added to the urban fabric.
Marinid Rulers of Fes
- Muhammad IMuhammad ibn Abd Al-HaqqMuhammad ibn Abd Al-Haqq or Muhammad ben `Abd al-Haqq , was a Marinid ruler. He was the son of Abd al-Haqq I and the brother of Uthman I.He continued to fight the Almohads especially around the city of Meknes....
(1240–1244) - Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-HaqqAbu Yahya ibn Abd al-HaqqAbu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq was a Marinid ruler. He was the son of Abd al-Haqq I and the brother of both Uthman I and Muhammad I....
(1244–1258) - Umar (1258–1259)
- Abu Yusuf YaqubAbu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd Al-HaqqAbu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq was a Marinid ruler of Morocco. He was the fourth son of Marinid founder Abd al-Haqq, and succeeded his brother Abu Yahya in 1258. He died in 1286.-History:The Marinids had been fighting the Almohads for supremacy over Morocco since 1210s...
(1259–1286) - Abu Yaqub YusufAbu Yaqub Yusuf an-NasrAbu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr was a Marinid ruler of Morocco. Son of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub, whom he succeeded in 1286. He was assassinated in 1307.- History :...
(1286–1306) - Abu Thabit AmirAbu Thabit AmirAbu Thabit Amir was a Marinid ruler of Morocco for around a year. Son or grandson of Abu Yaqub Yusuf, whom he succeeded in 1307.- History :...
(1307–1308) - Abu al-Rabi SulaymanAbu al-Rabi SulaymanAbu al-Rabi Sulayman was a Marinid ruler of Morocco. Son or grandson of Abu Yaqub Yusuf and brother of Abu Thabit Amir, whom he succeeded in 1308, at the age of 19.- History :Abu al-Rabi Sulayman succeeded his brother Abu Thabit Amir as Marinid sultan in July 1308...
(1308–1310) - Abu Said Uthman IIAbu Sa'id Uthman IIAbu Sa'id Uthman II was the 10th Marinid sultan...
(1310–1331) - Abu al-Hasan 'AliAbu al-Hasan 'AliAbu Al-Hasan 'Ali ibn 'Othman was a sultan of the Marinid Dynasty who reigned in Morocco and Al-Andalus . The son of Marinid ruler Abu Sa'id Uthman II and an Abyssinian mother, Abu al-Hassan had a dark complexion, and was known as the 'Black Sultan' of Morocco.He succeeded his father Abu Sa'id...
(1331–1348) - Abu Inan FarisAbu Inan FarisAbu Inan Faris was a Marinid ruler. He succeeded his father Abu al-Hasan ibn Uthman as sultan of Morocco in 1348. He died strangled by his vizier in 1358.- History :...
(1348–1358) - Muhammad II as Said (1359)
- Abu Salim Ali II (1359–1361)
- Abu Umar Taschufin (1361)
- Abu Zayyan Muhammad III (1362–1366)
- Abu l-Fariz Abdul Aziz I (1366–1372)
- Abu l-Abbas Ahmad (1372–1374)
- Abu Zayyan Muhammad IV (1384–1386)
- Muhammad V (1386–1387)
- Abu l-Abbas Ahmad (1387–1393)
- Abdul Aziz II (1393–1398)
- Abdullah (1398–1399)
- Abu Said Uthman III (1399–1420)
- Abdalhaqq II (1420–1465)
Wattasid Dynasty 1472 - 1550 a.d.
The Wattasid Dynasty, or sometimes called the Kingdom of FezKingdom of Fez
The Kingdom of Fez or Wattasid sultanate was the name given to the northern part of Morocco between 1472 and 1554 with its capital at Fez.The Wattasid are a branch of the Zenete, a Berber clan whose origins lie in what is now modern day Libya....
, were, like the Marinids, of Berber Zenata
Zenata
Zenata were an ethnic group of North Africa, who were technically an Eastern Berber group and who are found in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco....
descent and the families were related. Having powerful enemies both in the south, Saadi Dynasty
Saadi Dynasty
The Saadi dynasty of Morocco , began with the reign of Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh in 1554, when he vanquished the last Wattasids at the Battle of Tadla....
, and the north, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
it is quite impressive that this small sultanate managed to stay in power for as long as it did. Eventually it lost the power of Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
to the Saadi Dynasty
Saadi Dynasty
The Saadi dynasty of Morocco , began with the reign of Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh in 1554, when he vanquished the last Wattasids at the Battle of Tadla....
in 1554.
Wattasid Sultans of Fes
- Abu Abd Allah al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Yahya 1472-1504
- Abu Abd Allah al-Burtuqali Muhammad ibn Muhammad 1504-1526
- Abu al-Hasan Abu Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad 1526-1526
- Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad 1526-1545
- Nasir ad-Din al-Qasri Muhammad ibn Ahmad 1545-1547
- Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad 1547-1549
- Abu al-Hasan Abu Hasun Ali ibn Muhammad 1554-1554
Saadi DynastySaadi DynastyThe Saadi dynasty of Morocco , began with the reign of Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh in 1554, when he vanquished the last Wattasids at the Battle of Tadla....
1554 - 1659
Once again Fes was under an empire that preferred Marrakech as their capital. The Saadis were originally from the south and they managed to outlive and defeat the Wattasids. During their reign they managed to keep both the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
out of Fes el Bali. Between 1603 - 1627 a.d. the Saadis appointed a local ruler in Fes, however the ruler had only local power.
- Mohammed esh Sheikh el Mamun (born 1560), (r.1604-1613)
- Abdallah II (r.1613-1623)
- Abd el Malek (r.1623-1627)
Under Alaouite rule 1669 - 1912 a.d.
Fes was the capital of the Alouite dynasty during this time.
French protectorate 1912 - 1956
The French decides to move the capital from Fes to Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
where it remains today. However Fes maintains its status as a very important city. The French also built the Ville Nouvelle of Fes in 1916.
Independence 1956 - today
Fes has become a increasingly important tourist and economic city of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Tourism
- For further reading on tourism in Fes el Bali see this article
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
and for the past few years Fes el Bali has seen a boom in the number of visitors that come here.
The main sight is the Medina in itself, how people go on living their daily life as they have done for centuries, the local markets and the architecture.
However in comparison to cities like Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
tourism in Fes el Bali is still very modest.
Threats
According to UnescoUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
there are two main problems and threats to this World heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
- A ever-increasing population in an already dangerously overpopulated area and the uncontrolled urban development which is a result of that.
- The deterioration of the buildings
Because of the vulnerability of the site the State has adopted a special plan to care for this world heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
and every building and monument it contain.
The aim is to prevent houses from collapsing, increase sustainable tourism and to safeguard everything.