The Medina of Fez is the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Morocco centered on the ancient walled city often described as the world’s oldest medina.
Fez was founded in the late eighth or early ninth century and became a major centre of Islamic learning, trade, craftsmanship, and political power. Its historic core, Fes el-Bali, contains a dense network of lanes, markets, mosques, schools, fountains, workshops, and courtyard houses enclosed by walls.
The Qarawiyyin mosque and university complex is among the medina’s most important institutions, while gates such as Bab Bou Jeloud provide well-known entrances to the old city. The urban fabric preserves medieval patterns of specialized craft production and neighbourhood organization, although the city has evolved continuously rather than remaining frozen in one period.
UNESCO inscribed the Medina of Fez in 1981. The phrase “oldest medina” is a popular description rather than a precise universal ranking, because several North African cities have very old historic quarters. Fez’s significance rests on its exceptional scale, continuity, and cultural institutions.