With a capacity for 20,000 worshippers, a library packed with precious manuscripts, and a student body from across the Islamic world, the Kairaouine Mosque and university is a must-see on any tour of the Medina of Fez. As with all Moroccan mosques, however, only Muslims are allowed to pass through the doors and admire its austere white archways, delicate woodwork, and elegant but restrained calligraphy. While a stop at the Kairaouine Mosque is common on Fez medina walking tours, non-Muslims should look for a tour that includes a rooftop visit to soak up the view.
The Kairaouine Mosque and university sit in the heart of the Medina of Fez, less than a 10-minute walk south of the Bab Guissa gate. Bus 10 runs to Bab Guissa from the train station.
Observant Muslims will want to visit the Kairaouine Mosque for Friday prayers. Photographers should aim to be on a rooftop around the golden hour before sunset, when the green shows at its best.
Some of Fez’s most beautiful works of Islamic architecture, including the Kairaouine Mosque and Zaouia Moulay Idriss II, are open only to Muslims. But all travelers can discover the joy of zellige tilework, filigree woodwork, and art made without representing the human form at the Bou Inania Medersa, a 14th-century Islamic college, and the Al-Attarine Madrasa (Medersa el-Attarine), a medieval religious high school.