Andalusian Mosque Fes

Fes was settled in the ninth century by two groups of refugees on opposite banks of the river - families from Kairouan on one side, families from Cordoba on the other - and each founded a mosque; the Quaraouiyine on the west bank became the great one, and the Andalusian mosque on the east has stayed the quieter neighbourhood counterpart, founded in 859 or 860 by Maryam al-Fihri, sister of the Quaraouiyine's founder. The building was much enlarged by the Almohads in the thirteenth century, and the great north gate dates from that work: a tall horseshoe arch under a wide projecting wooden canopy on carved corbels, framed by zellige, which is one of the finest exterior compositions in the city and is fully visible from the street. Non-Muslims cannot go inside. The quarter around it is residential, much less touted than the west bank, and worth walking for that.

What you actually see

• A twin foundation - the east-bank mosque of the Cordoban settlers, founded about 859.
• The Almohad north gate - a horseshoe arch under a projecting carved wooden canopy.
• A quieter quarter - residential lanes with far less touting than the west bank.
• Exterior only - the interior closed, as at working mosques throughout Morocco.

When to go

October to April. Half an hour, walking the quarter.

Honest expectations

Non-Muslims cannot enter - the gate is the visit. The east bank is a maze and getting lost is normal. There are few cafes or facilities in the quarter. Signage is minimal.

Nearby

The Sahrij madrasa is close; the Quaraouiyine is across the river.