Fes el Bali (Old Fes) is the oldest walled part of Fes, Morocco. Fes el Bali was originally founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. Besides being famous for having the oldest university in the world Fes el Bali, with a total population of 156 000, is also believed to be the biggest car-free urban area in the world.
UNESCO listed Fes el Bali as a world heritage site in 1981 under the name Medina of Fez. The world heritage site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls as well as a buffer zone outside of the walls that is intended to preserve the visual integrity of the location.
Fes el Bali is, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created Ville nouvelle, one out the 3 main districts in Fes.
