Morocco · Fès-Meknès · Fes
New Fes, Fes — Area Guide & Where to Stay
New Fes, or Fes Jdid, was founded by the Marinids in 1276 as a royal citadel beside Fes el Bali, and the Royal Palace still fills much of it.
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Where to stay in New Fes
Where you base yourself shapes the visit — here's the character of each area.
Two walled quarters, one listing. A bed in Fes Jdid puts a guest beside the Royal Palace and the historic Mellah, with the older lanes of Fes el Bali the next quarter over and both districts carrying the same UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Distances inside are short.
Dar Batha and Dar al-Magana stand within the district itself, so a room here keeps them close, and the choice between the two quarters comes down to taste rather than logistics.
Few places to stay in New Fes — most visitors book in Fes nearby.
About New Fes
What are the main landmarks in New Fes?
Five names carry the quarter. The Royal Palace occupies a large part of New Fes, ground that once held the centre of government in Morocco and that the King of Morocco still uses on occasion. Dar Batha, Mnebhi Palace and Dar al-Magana account for the rest of the heritage list.
The Museum of Arms of Borj Nord and Riad Ba Mohamed Chergui round it out.
What is the history of New Fes?
The Marinids founded it in 1276. New Fes went up as an extension of Fes el Bali and as a royal citadel and capital, the seat from which Morocco was governed, and the Royal Palace at its centre still records that purpose. The Mellah belongs to the same account.
Since 1981 the quarter has been listed alongside Fes el-Bali as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Where is New Fes?
New Fes is one of the three parts of Fes, a walled quarter set out beside Fes el Bali and taken up in large part by the grounds of the Royal Palace.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in New Fes?
Fes: visitors weighing the whole of Fes rather than one of its three parts.
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Updated September 2026