Merenid Tombs

The Marinids buried their dead on the ridge north of Fes in the fourteenth century and what survives is fragmentary - two or three roofless masonry shells with traces of decoration, standing on bare ground with the city below. They are not much as monuments. What brings people up is the position: from the terrace beside them the whole of Fes el-Bali is laid out in a bowl, tens of thousands of flat roofs with the Quaraouiyine's green tiles and the Bou Inania minaret picked out of them, the walls running round, and Fes el-Jdid off to the right - and it is one of the few places from which the scale of the medina becomes comprehensible, because from inside it there is no vantage at all. Sunset and dawn are the times. The walk up from Bab Guissa takes about twenty minutes; the path is used by locals and by a certain amount of unwelcome attention after dark.

History

The Marinids took Fez in 1250 and made it their capital, building Fes el-Jdid in 1276; before that they had a fortified palace with a mosque and a bathhouse on this hill north of the old city, known as al-Qula. Little is recorded about the tombs themselves, which are attributed to the 14th century (Wikipedia, Marinid Tombs).

What you'll find

• Fragmentary tombs - roofless masonry shells with traces of decoration.
• The medina from above - tens of thousands of roofs laid out in the bowl below.
• The landmarks picked out - Quaraouiyine's green tiles and the Bou Inania minaret.
• A comprehensible scale - the only real vantage on a city that has none from inside.

When to go

October to April, at sunset or dawn. Two hours.

Practical notes

The tombs themselves are slight - the view is the reason to go. The hillside gets unwelcome attention after dark; go in daylight or with company. There are no facilities. The walk up is steep.

Nearby

Bab Guissa and the medina are below; the Borj Nord fort is along the ridge.

Key facts