: Fez. Low angle view of men washing their feet in the courtyard, Mosque

Fez

Low angle view of men washing their feet in the courtyard, Mosque and University of Al-Karaouine, founded 859, Fez, Morocco, pictured on February 22, 2009 in the evening. The University of Al-Karaouine was an important Medieval centre for cultural and academic exchange between the Islamic states and Europe having, nurtured many influential scholars of the Muslim and Jewish worlds. Its Madrasa is still a great Islamic spiritual and educational centre. Fez, Morocco's second largest city, and one of the four imperial cities, was founded in 789 by Idris I on the banks of the River Fez. The oldest university in the world is here and the city is still the Moroccan cultural and spiritual centre. Fez has three sectors: the oldest part, the walled city of Fes-el-Bali, houses Morocco's largest medina and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Fes-el-Jedid was founded in 1244 as a new capital by the Merenid dynasty, and contains the Mellah, or Jewish quarter; Ville Nouvelle was built by the French who took over most of Morocco in 1912 and transferred the capital to Rabat. Picture by Manuel Cohen

Picture No

13447127

Media ID

45153083

Size

3722px x 5563px (4.3MB)

Credit

Manuel Cohen / Mary Evans

Source

Photograph by Manuel Cohen