Bab Bou Jeloud is the monumental western gateway into Fes el-Bali and, for most visitors, the front door to the old city. Despite its medieval look the present triple-arched gate is comparatively young — it was built in 1913, early in the French protectorate, in a Moorish revival style, replacing a much plainer older entrance nearby.
Its nickname, the Blue Gate, comes from the tilework: the outward-facing side is covered in cobalt-blue zellij (blue being a colour long associated with Fes), while the side facing into the medina is tiled in green, the colour of Islam. Step through it and you land at the head of Talaa Kebira, the medina's main artery, immediately lined with café terraces whose upper floors frame the minarets of the Bou Inania and Sidi Lazaz mosques through the arch — one of the most photographed views in Fes.
Because the gate marks the boundary between the drivable new town and the car-free medina, it is the natural handover point on a private tour: your driver sets you down right at the arch, and you continue on foot with your guide into the souks, then rejoin the vehicle here without navigating the traffic-choked lanes outside.
Highlights
- Cobalt-blue zellij on the outer face, green on the inner face
- The classic framed view of minarets through the central arch
- The gateway to Talaa Kebira and its café terraces
- A 1913 Moorish-revival design that anchors the medina's edge
- A prime rooftop-café spot for a first look over Fes el-Bali
- The main pedestrian threshold between the new town and the old city
Best Time to Visit
Late afternoon, when the western sun lights the blue tiles and the café terraces above the gate fill for sunset over the medina.