Must See Morocco - Fès

The oldest of the imperial cities, Fès is arguably the symbolic heart of Morocco. Its labyrinthine streets and crumbling grandeur add to its intrigue. The medina of Fès el-Bali (Old Fès) is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world, and its gates and walls are magnificent.

Unlike many walled cities, Old Fès hasn't burst its banks. The population has instead exploded out towards the southwest and spread to the hillsides in an arc stretching north and south of the new city. Within the old city is the towering Medersa Bou Inania, a theological college built in 1350.

Not far from here, tucked among roughly 9,400 streets and alleys, the henna souq is a market specialising in the dye used for colouring hair and tattooing women's hands and feet. Next door to the old walled city is Fès el-Jdid, home to the city's Jewish community and many spectacular buildings. In between the two self-contained cities is the Dar Batha, now the Museum du Batha.