FES CITY
ruled the Maghreb countries lie, the Old City of Fes, or Fes al Bali as it is known, appears as a round platter. Imposed over the city are the roofs of old houses, cluttered with satellite dishes, surrounded by minarets, and the leather tanneries that serve as the perpetual backdrop of all the images of the city. Established in the ninth century CE, Fes became the Moroccan capital during the Marinid rule in the 13th century, and remained so until 1912. After the political capital was moved to Rabat, Fes continued to be known as the scientific and cultural capital, particularly due to the presence of the University of Al Quaraouiyine. The university was established in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, who came from the Tunisian city of Qayrawan. Today, it stands as the oldest university in the world that remains open. When the UNESCO listed the Old City as a Heritage Site in 1981, it cited it as a “living witness to a flourishing city of the eastern Mediterranean having exercised cons