Oued Fès

The river that flows through the heart of the medina appears discreet at first glance, hiding beneath the dwellings and flowing peacefully from one end to the other of the me

medina of Fes. This waterway is nevertheless at the origin of the creation of Fes, since water is life as the official guides like to tell tourists. UNESCO’s project is to rehabilitate this waterway as an important feature and to restore its banks in order to showcase the heritage of Fes el Bali. The Oued Fes has also had, since 2011, a golf course near the new town beyond the royal palace (link to golf fès)

The Oued Fès river, the lifeblood of Fes

For several years now, an immense restoration effort has been underway to restore the banks of the Oued Fès, highlighting this waterway which, thousands of years ago, triggered the settlement of the first populations in Fes. The geographical location of Fes, close to the Middle Atlas, allows it to benefit from mountain water as the snow melts. You will notice that the region is green and well irrigated; indeed, the Fes-Boulemane region is an area with humid soil where agriculture is an important sector of activity. Located below the Rif, a region rich in water to the west of the Middle Atlas, the Fes region is ideally situated to benefit from vital water resources.

Rehabilitation works at the heart of the medina

The Oued Fès has changed the face of R’cif square; the rehabilitation works have transformed, in the best sense of the term, the architecture of R’cif square. The works undertaken for the medina also aim to restore this thousand-year-old heritage; the bab r’cif gate (link bab r’cif) now provides access to R’cif square and to its redevelopment. Magnificent works offer a view over the Oued Fès from balconies, and the bricks used, also called bejmat, are truly beautiful. Coming down from the guesthouse Riad Jamaï, a 15-minute walk away, you will find yourself lingering a few minutes to gaze upon this intoxicating waterway.