The plain of Saiss and the Imperial
cities of Fes (Fez) and Meknes are Morocco's heartland, and their
history was for a long time also the country's history. Protected from
the Mediterranean by the Rif Mountains and from the Sahara Desert by the
Middle Atlas range, the fertile plain amply provided for the cities.
Outside the grand urban centres the region's gentle natural attractions
include the cedar woods near Azrou, picturesque landscapes, romantic
lakes and the splendid Cascades d'Ouzoud.
The 15km-long tour of the walls of Fes is a perfect introduction
to the city.
Fes is the most complete medieval city in the Muslim world
The highlight of the Middle Atlas is undoubtedly Fes, the country's
ancient political and administrative capital, and still its religious
and intellectual centre. The city's medina - a Unesco World Heritage
Site - has a wealth of medieval monuments, some of them outstanding
jewels of Islamic archiitecture. Its people, the Fassi - a mixture of
Andalucian, Tunisian and Berber - have always had an independent
identity and are
often intellectuals and political leaders.
In the 17th century Moulay Ismail turned his back on Fes and moved the
capital to Meknes, but over the years his megalomaniac building
projects have fallen into spectacular ruin.
Even the Romans appreciated the area, and built Volubilis, the most
important Roman ruins in Morocco. Not far from Volubilis is the shrine
of the kingdom's most venerated Muslim saint, Moulay ldriss, the founder
of Fes.
