The City of Fez: Its Founding and Civilizational Development in the Islamic Era

Abstract

The history of the city of Fez is among the most prominent topics in the history of the Arab-Islamic cities that acquired great importance during the era of Islamic Maghrib history, given the civilizational and historical status that Fez held in the Islamic Maghrib. Fez also contributed to the development of the civilizational and urban framework of the Islamic Maghrib, and this Moroccan city acquired great importance from the time of its founding under the Idrisid state, which began to emerge in the land of the Far Maghrib (al-Maghrib al-Aqsa). Historical sources have addressed its origins, development, and role in consolidating the foundations of the state. Fez became the capital of the Far Maghrib and a civilizational and Islamic center whose influence extended to the rest of the Arab cities and, subsequently, to various parts of the Islamic world, owing to its Islamic and religious status.