Morocco Travel Guide

SYNAGOGUE

GARDENS

NOTABLE BUILDINGS

MARKET

VIEWPOINT

RUINS

The Habarim Synagogue, at the far end of the cemetery, now houses a museum with a whole
mishmash of articles, including some poignant photos and postcards, left behind after the
Jewish exodus. If the museum is locked, the gatekeeper will open it for you.

Ibn Danan Synagogue

Offline map Google  map (   donations   welcomed)   Near    the cemetery,   this    synagogue   was restored

with the aid of Unesco in 1999. There are no set opening times as such, but someone will
usually let you in and point out the main features, including a mikva (ritual bath) in the
basement.

Jnan Sbil (Bou Jeloud Gardens)

Offline map Google map ( Ave Moulay Hassan) These gardens have been providing welcome
green space for well over a century. They’re a good halfway break between the mellah and
Bab Bou Jeloud, and have recently undergone extensive renovation and replanting.

Rue des Mérinides

( Offline map ) This street is lined with houses which are distinguished by their wooden and

wrought-iron balconies, as well as by their stuccowork.

Baghdadi Square

( Offline map Google map ) An open-air market on the edge of the medina.

NORTH OF THE MEDINA

Viewed from the surrounding hills, Fez’ jumbled buildings merge into a palette of white-flecked
sandstone. Only here and there do the green-tiled roofs of the mosques and medersas provide
a hint of colour.

Borj Nord

( Offline map Google map ) Head up here for one of the best panoramas of the city. Like its
counterpart on the southern hills (Borj Sud), Borj Nord was built by Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour in
the late 16th century to monitor the potentially disloyal populace of Fez.

Merenid Tombs

( Offline map Google map ) Further up, these tombs are dramatic in their advanced state of ruin,

although little remains of their fine original decoration. The views over Fez are spectacular and
well worth the climb. Look for the black smoke in the southern part of the city, marking the
potteries. It’s best at dusk as the lights come on and the muezzins’ prayer calls echo around the
valley, although you shouldn’t go on your own; we’ve received more than one account of
travellers being mugged here after dark. A taxi from Bab Bou Jeloud should cost around Dh7;
it’s a 10-minute walk back downhill to the medina.

Activities

HAMMAMS