Marinid Tombs at Sunset

What they are

The Marinid tombs are the ruins of a 14th-century funerary complex on the hill that overlooks Fez el-Bali from the north. Before that there was a Marinid palace here, al-Qula, of which almost nothing remains: its stones were removed over centuries. Between 1361 and 1398, and one last time in 1465, several Marinid sultans were buried on the hill, among them Abu Salim Ibrahim and the last of the dynasty, Abd al-Haqq II. The burials are poorly documented and no thorough excavation has ever been made.

What you see are two large rectangular mausoleums with horseshoe arches, which lost their wooden and green-tiled roofs, remains of carved stucco and an Arabic inscription inside, a small qubba behind that also lost its dome and stretches of wall. In 2024 the ADER-Fès agency announced a major restoration of the site: you may find areas under works.

What you see

What brings people is not the ruins, but the view. From the hill you have the whole medina at your feet: thousands of rooftop terraces, the minarets, the green roof of the Qarawiyyin and, all around, the olive-covered hills. At sunset, when the light turns golden, the calls to prayer begin from the medina's mosques and are heard one after another.

Beside it, on the same hill, is the Borj Nord, a fortress that houses the arms museum.

Getting there

• By petit taxi. It is the most comfortable: from Bab Boujloud, ask for "Tombeaux Mérinides". The road that circles the medina on the north climbs up to the ruins. Ask the driver to wait or agree the return, because walking down at night is not ideal.
• On foot. From the Bab Guissa area, north of the medina, you climb on foot up the slope. It is a short but steep climb; do it by day and in company.
• By car. You can drive up and leave the car next to the ruins.

When to go

At sunset, without doubt, an hour before the sun goes down, to see how the light changes and hear the calls to prayer. First thing in the morning it also has good light and is empty. In summer, at midday, there is no shade. Allow an hour including the taxi ride up.

Price and facilities

It is an open, free site. There is no ticket office, nor toilets, nor cafés at the ruins; bring water.

Safety

The ruins are on an open hill, with no fences at some edges. Watch children near the drops. At sunset there are usually people, locals and tourists, but when it gets dark it empties: come down before nightfall or go with your taxi waiting. As anywhere in the city, ignore anyone offering to guide you.

Combine it

It is a good way to close a medina day, or a way to grasp the size of Fez before entering it. If you only have two days, go the first afternoon: for the rest of the trip you will know where you are.