Fes el Bali
| Medina of Fez | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
 |
|
| Location | Morocco |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, v |
| Reference | 170 |
| UNESCO region | Arab States |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1981 (5th Session) |
Fes el Bali (Arabic: فاس البالي) (English: Old Fes) is the oldest walled part of Fes, Morocco. Fes el Bali was founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. Besides being famous for having the oldest university in the world, the University of Al-Karaouine, Fes el Bali, with a total population of 156,000, is also believed to be the biggest car-free urban area in the world.
UNESCO listed Fes el Bali as a world heritage site in 1981 under the name Medina of Fez. The world heritage site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls as well as a buffer zone outside of the walls that is intended to preserve the visual integrity of the location.
Fes el Bali is, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created Ville nouvelle, one of the three main districts in Fes.
As the capital for his newly acquired empire, Idris ibn Abdallah chose to build a new town on the right bank of the Fes river in 789 CE. Many of the first inhabitants were refugees fleeing from an uprising in Cordoba (modern-day Spain) However, in 809 CE his son, Idris II, 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 fled from an uprising in Kairouan (in modern Tunisia).
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 by the Almoravids.
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 CE. It is considered the oldest university in the world.
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