The Medina of Fes el Bali, the larger of the two medinas of Fes, is believed to be the largest contiguous car-free urban area in the world.
Fes el Bali is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.

The city of Fez is the oldest in Morocco.
It was founded in the 9th century by Moulay Idriss II, the founder of the Idrissids dynasty.
The oldest part of the city, Fes-el-BAli (old Fes), dates from this period. Other dynasties that would control Morocco were the Almoravides, in the 12th century, and the Almohads, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Other dynasties that followed were the Merinids, the Wattasids, the Viziers, and the Saadians. The newest part of the medina, the New Fez (Fes-el-Djedid), was built around the 14th century.