Morocco is home to a historic city famous for its maze of narrow streets.
The Medina of Fez is one of the country’s best-known historic areas. Its winding alleys connect homes, markets, mosques and traditional workshops.
Some streets are so narrow that cars cannot enter. As a result, much of the old medina is explored on foot.
For visitors, walking through the area can feel like entering a giant maze.
A historic city with narrow streets
Fez was founded more than 1,200 years ago.
Over time, the city became an important centre for culture, craftsmanship and learning.
Fez el-Bali is the oldest part of the city. Here, narrow streets run between closely packed buildings.
The streets often twist and turn. Some passages also become extremely narrow.
Therefore, walking remains one of the main ways to explore the historic area.
Traditional crafts continue today
The Medina of Fez is more than a historic attraction.
People still live and work inside its old walls.
Traditional crafts also remain part of daily life. Local workshops produce leather goods, pottery, metalwork and textiles.
Meanwhile, markets can be found throughout the medina.
These businesses help keep traditional skills alive.
Centuries of architecture
The Medina of Fez is also known for its historic architecture.
The area contains mosques, madrasas, fountains, markets and traditional homes.
Many houses were built around internal courtyards. These spaces provide privacy inside the busy city.
Visitors can also see decorative tiles and carved wood throughout the medina.
Together, these features give the old city its distinctive appearance.
A living part of Moroccan culture
UNESCO added the Medina of Fez to its World Heritage List in 1981.
UNESCO describes it as one of the most extensive and best-preserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world.
However, the medina is not simply a monument to the past.
People continue to live, work and trade there today. Traditional crafts and architecture remain part of everyday life.
Its maze of narrow streets is still one of the city’s most distinctive features.
For many visitors, getting lost among those winding alleys is part of discovering Fez.