The blue gate of Fez

If you have been to Fez, Morocco, you will immediately recognize the Great Bab Boujeloud Gate, also known as the “Blue Gate of Fez”. If you go out by Bab Boujloud, you will notice that is actually green.

The imposing entrance door with its mosaic tiles is the most emblematic portal of the old medina, Fes el-Bali , the largest medieval city and car-free urban area in the world. The blue on the side that welcomes new visitors represents the color of the city of Fez, famous for its pottery, painted with elegant cobalt blue patterns. The reverse, facing the medina, is green – the color of Islam.

Built in 1913, the bab (portal) is a gateway between two equally colorful and dynamic scenes, one distinctly from the 21st century and the other an intriguing blend of different eras.

Once you have crossed the “Blue Gate”, the traffic will quickly vanish, replaced by the clatter of merchants selling their wares and the muffled footsteps of thousands of animals and pedestrians making their way through winding lanes. From the entrance of Bab Boujeloud, you will join the two main alleys of the medina, Tala’a Kbira and Tala’a Sghira – even if you take anything, you will probably get lost.

There are several restaurants just inside the door, and if you find a table on a higher perch, you can watch the hypnotic and endless movement of people and goods coming from above, coming and going