The oldest of Morocco’s imperial cities, Fez, was founded in 789 by the founder of the Idrissid dynasty and is also regarded as the founder of Morocco, Idris Ibn Abdallah. The old city, referred to as medina, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, consisting of two parts, Fez el-Bali and Fez el-Jdid, originating from the 8th and 13th centuries and is considered to be one of the most extensive and well-conserved historic towns in the Muslim world.
Fez, considered the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco, is also home to the world’s oldest continually operating university, the University of al-Qarawiyyin, which was established initially as a mosque by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 and then became a center for spiritual and educational learning. Along with historic fortresses and gates, the city has many examples of it centuries old Islamic heritage including madrassahs, mausoleums and mosques, including the Mosque of the Andalusians and the Bou Jeloud Mosque