"Almighty God, surely You know that I have not sought behind the founding of this city vainglory, nor pride, nor dissimulation, nor renown, nor arrogance. Rather, I sought that You would be worshipped therein and that in it Your Book shall always be recited and Your laws and Your Prophet's tradition shall always be preserved as long as You shall preserve them..." --Supplication of Moulay Idris II, founder of Fez Fez is a city layered with history and culture,
a world of its own where reality mingles inextricably with legend. In this, the most beautiful of Morocco’s cities, the medieval walls reveal its everlasting traditions. In the centuries since its founding, Moulay Idris’s supplication has become manifest in myriad ways. This is apparent when reflecting on one of the most magnificent pages of Moroccan history: the founding of the Qarawiyine mosque and university. Greatly renowned for its embrace of worship and the quest for knowledge, the Qarawiyine made Fez the cradle of Islamic cultural traditions in Morocco. One of the world’s oldest inhabited medieval cities, the Fez medina was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981. Donkeys continue to be the primary mode of transportation in its narrow streets. Today, Fez remains the most secretive and mystical of Morocco’s imperial cities, with its winding alleys, its splendid and unique architecture, and its venerable mederssas and congregational mosques, from which the enchanting and timeless call to prayer can be heard five times a day.