Fez el-Jdid, the Mellah and the Royal Palace Gates

What it is

Fez el-Jdid, "New Fez", is the city founded by the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub in 1276 as a royal citadel and seat of government, next to the old medina. It was originally called Madinat al-Bayda, the White City. It has been a World Heritage site together with Fez el-Bali since 1981. Here is the Royal Palace, the Dar al-Makhzen, of about 80 hectares, which the king still uses from time to time, and at its southern end the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, to which the Jewish population was probably moved in the mid-15th century.

It is a very different visit from Fez el-Bali: wider streets, fewer slopes, fewer people and fewer shops for tourists. It is everyday Fez.

The walk, step by step

Allow about two hours on foot at an easy pace.

1. Place des Alaouites and the Royal Palace gates. Start here, on the large esplanade. The palace's golden gates, of worked brass between tiles and cedar wood, were made in the 1960s and early 1970s. The palace cannot be visited: it is seen only from outside. There are guards: take your photos from the square and respect whatever they tell you.
2. The Mellah along Rue des Mérinides. From the square enter the Mellah along Rue des Mérinides, which the French opened in 1924 beside the south wall of the palace. Notice the houses: unlike those of the medina, closed inwards, here they have balconies open to the street, some of carved wood.
3. The Ibn Danan synagogue. In the lower Mellah is this synagogue, believed to date from the late 17th century and known for its interior. It is usually opened by a caretaker who expects a tip.
4. The Jewish cemetery. South of the Mellah, a large field of whitewashed tombs. At its end there is an old synagogue turned into a museum.
5. Bab Semmarine and the Grande Rue. Head back north along the Mellah's main street to Bab Semmarine, the monumental gate at the south of Fez el-Jdid. From there the Grande Rue climbs between shops and mosques, such as al-Hamra, to the old Mechouar.
6. Jnan Sbil gardens. Finish in these gardens, between the old Mechouar and the Bab Boujloud area, with shade, ponds and the Fez river resurfacing. From here you are a walk from Bab Boujloud.

Price and hours

Walking around is free. The synagogue and the cemetery are visited with a small tip or donation, and usually close on Saturday, the Jewish day of rest: confirm at your riad. On Friday at midday the Grande Rue stops for prayer. The Jnan Sbil gardens open by day; hours are not reliably published, so do not leave them until late afternoon.

Getting there

By petit taxi from Bab Boujloud or from the Ville Nouvelle, ask for "Palais Royal" or "Place des Alaouites". On foot, from Bab Boujloud you cross Jnan Sbil and the Mechouar area in about 20 minutes; you can do the route in reverse.

With children and a pushchair

It is the part of Fez that is most comfortable with children: wide, flat streets, with space. With a pushchair you do well on the square, Rue des Mérinides and the Grande Rue. Jnan Sbil, with its ponds and paths, is a good place for them to run about for a while.

With a guide

A guide helps above all in the Mellah, to get into the synagogue and understand the history of the quarter. Plan-it Morocco includes the Mellah in its one-day medina visit. If you hire your own, make sure they are official: you have it at official medina guide.