Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Fes el Bali · Photo: flowcomm, CC BY 2.0
The Andalusian Quarter is the eastern half of Fes el-Bali, across the Oued Fes from the Qarawiyyin side. Tradition says refugees from Córdoba settled it in the 9th century. Today it is residential and quiet, with the Andalusian Mosque and its monumental gate, the Sahrij Madrasa and steep lanes climbing to Bab Ftouh.
The Andalusian Quarter (Adwat al-Andalus) is the eastern half of Fes el-Bali, set across the Oued Fes river from the famous Qarawiyyin side. According to long tradition it was settled in the 9th century by Andalusian refugees from Córdoba, just as the opposite bank received refugees from Kairouan in Tunisia, which is why the old city has two historic quarters facing each other across the river. Today the Andalusian side is quieter, more residential and far less touristed than the Qarawiyyin core, with steep lanes winding up the hillside toward the Bab Ftouh gate and its cemetery. At its heart stands the Andalusian Mosque (Jamaa al-Andalus, the Mosque of the Andalusians) with its grand monumental gateway, and nearby is the Sahrij (As-Sahrij) Madrasa, prized for its fine zellij.
Fes el-Bali from the north. The Andalusian Quarter is its east bank.
Fes el BaliPinned on OpenStreetMap, with the walk from the nearest gate. The places around it link to their own guides.
About 7 minutes on foot from Bab Ftouh باب الفتوح, 440 m through the lanes.
The Andalusian Quarter, known in Arabic as Adwat al-Andalus, occupies the eastern half of the old walled medina, on the far side of the Oued Fes from the Qarawiyyin district. It is one of the two historic halves of Fes el-Bali, and although it sits within the same UNESCO-listed medina it sees a fraction of the visitors of the opposite bank.
By tradition the medina grew from two communities of refugees who settled on opposite sides of the river in the 9th century: Andalusians from Córdoba on the eastern bank and people from Kairouan in Tunisia on the western, Qarawiyyin, side. Each founded a great mosque, and the rivalry and exchange between the two banks shaped the city. It is this story that gives the Qarawiyyin its name and the Andalusian Quarter its identity.
A short walk from the mosque is the Sahrij Madrasa, a Marinid-era college named for the reflecting pool (sahrij) in its courtyard. It is admired for its fine zellij mosaic, carved stucco and cedar woodwork, in the same tradition as the better-known madrasas on the Qarawiyyin side but seen here in a far quieter setting. Check locally whether it is open, as access to the smaller madrasas can vary.
Away from the souks and crowds of the opposite bank, the Andalusian Quarter is mostly residential. Its lanes are narrow and steep, climbing the hillside between high blank walls, ordinary doorways and small neighbourhood shops. The mood is everyday and unhurried, and this is much of the appeal: it is one of the calmest parts of Fes el-Bali.
Because tourists are relatively few here, what you see tends to be daily neighbourhood life: children playing in the lanes, a corner bakery or grocery, a small local mosque or fountain, residents going about their day. It offers a different and quieter face of the medina from the trade-driven bustle around the Qarawiyyin and the main souks.
The quarter is reached on foot from the Qarawiyyin side by crossing the line of the Oued Fes that historically divided the two banks. From the dense core around the Qarawiyyin and the Attarine souk, the lanes lead east and uphill toward the Andalusian Mosque. The medina is a maze, so a guide or offline map helps, and the crossing makes a natural extension to a wider medina walk.
The Andalusian side rewards patient, unhurried photography: the monumental gate of the Andalusian Mosque, the steep stepped lanes, doorways and the views from near Bab Ftouh out over the city. As this is a residential neighbourhood, photograph people only with their consent, and be especially discreet near the mosque and the cemetery.
Because the quarter is residential and far less used to visitors, modest dress and a low-key, respectful manner go a long way. Keep noise down in the lanes, don't linger in doorways or block narrow passages, and treat the mosque surroundings and the cemetery with particular care. The reward is a genuine, lived-in corner of Fes el-Bali.
A local guide makes this side of the medina far easier to read, navigating the unmarked lanes, placing the Andalusian Mosque and Sahrij Madrasa in the story of the two banks, and helping you cross over from the Qarawiyyin core without losing your way. It is also the simplest way to fold the quieter eastern bank into a longer walk through Fes el-Bali.
The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.
Bab R'cif and the riverA working square in the lower medina where the Oued Fes runs under the city.Read the guide
Jnan Sbil GardensA green pause between the two old cities, with a lake and a waterwheel.Read the guide
Borj Nord and the Merinid TombsThe hill above the medina, best at sunset.Read the guide
