I have just arrived in a new Moroccan city, the ancient UNESCO World Heritage site of Fes. This city was built long ago, when the complex labyrinth of narrow alleys was an architectural feature known to help the inhabitants defend their city during times of conflict. Today, it is a complex and infinitely interesting place to get lost. As is my custom in places such as these, I aim to find some high ground so I can get a proper birds-eye view of the city.
After some speaking with the locals as well as some light googling, I found just the destination from which to get the lay of the land, the Borj Nord Fortress. This well-preserved fortress was built roughly 440 years ago by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of the Saadian dynasty. It has a similar style to European fortifications of the same period, as it was modeled after the Portuguese designs after Morocco’s battles with this nation.
To get here from the Medina, I first head through the maze of alleys towards the Blue Gate.
Once you pass through the gate and are outside the medieval walls, you will cross the busy outside road and make your way uphill towards the fort. Depending on your pace, it will take about 20 minutes of walking uphill on the winding road to the top of the hill.
When I get to the fortification, I learn that it is now being used as a weapons museum. As you walk around the various rooms of the fort/castle you will come across some nicely displayed weapons from different periods of Morocco’s history.
The view from the ramparts is exactly what I was hoping it would be: a clear and fascinating lookout over the sprawling city below.
As I walk along the wall, I notice some much older-looking ruins just up the road. After I have finished wandering around the fort, I follow the road for another 15 minutes until I come to the site of the nearby ruins.
I learn that this is the site of the Merenid Tombs, built around the 13th century by a completely different Moroccan dynasty. Some locals believe there is spiritual significance here, as the tombs were built in precise geometrical alignment with the Medina, as was the style in ancient Islamic city planning.
There is no entrance ticket to visit this place, and it was completely deserted when I came. I found this to be a really beautiful and peaceful place to gaze out over the city below, and let your imagination run wild. I often like to daydream about history, and what life might have been like in ancient times, and this place is perfect to do just that.
The air is cool, and I can feel its crisp touch on my face as I sit on a rock and gaze out over the city. It seems so peaceful from up here, a city of over 1.26 million people, but no honking of cars or sirens in the distance. Strange that a city so large and so close could be so calm, or at least appear so. I imagine the high walls, and labyrinth of winding alleys acts as a kind of soundproofing.
The silence is broken by a crackling of loudspeakers across the city. In unison, they carry the sounds of a man singing out to his followers all across the city. Fes was being called to prayer.
I hope you enjoyed my post. All photos were taken by me.
If you are interested in reading more about my travels in Morocco, please check out some of my previous posts here:
Exploring Fes’s Ancient Maze of Alleys
Following Goats to Summit of Mountain Over Chefchaouen
Sunset Hike Over Chefchaouen