Fes el-Jdid (New Fez) Grand Rue

Fes el-Jdid, or New Fez, is the royal and administrative quarter founded in 1276 by the Merenid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub, west of the older Fes el-Bali in Morocco's Fès-Meknès region. The Merenids built it as a fortified palace city separate from the crowded medina, with its own Great Mosque, gardens, markets and a Jewish quarter, the Mellah, established in the 15th century. The Grand Rue de Fes el-Jdid is the main spine of the district, running between the Bab Semmarine gate and the Place des Alaouites, and it is lined with shops, bakeries and cafés in a more open, ordered layout than the medina's winding alleys. Along it stand houses with carved wooden balconies, an unusual feature that developed in the Mellah, and the entrance to the Royal Palace complex, Dar el-Makhzen. The district also holds the Great Mosque of Fes el-Jdid, founded in 1276, the Bab Dekkakin gateway and the Jardin Jnan Sbil in the adjacent area. Much of the Merenid fabric has been rebuilt by later Alaouite rulers, who from the 17th century used Fes el-Jdid as their administrative seat and expanded the palace, and the present palace gates date largely from the 20th century. Today the district remains a living neighbourhood with a mix of residents, craftspeople and visitors. Visitors walk the Grand Rue to see the street life, visit the Mellah and its synagogue and cemetery, and view the royal gates. The area is less crowded than the old medina and is easy to explore on foot in a couple of hours, though shops close around midday Friday. Its layout, with wider streets and defensive walls, contrasts with Fes el-Bali and illustrates the dynasty's urban planning.