Ville Nouvelle
The area of Fez known as Ville Nouvelle is a neighbourhood built during the period of the French Protectorate (which lasted until the middle of the 20th century.) It was constructed on the orders of General Lyautey as a residential area for the French, who controlled a large part of Morocco at that time. Construction of the new area caused great polarisation in the city; most of the original population remained in the Fès el-Bali (link to corresponding URL) and Fès el-Jdid (link to corresponding URL) medinas.
Over time, Ville Nouvelle expanded into neighbouring areas and its population multiplied exponentially; while it’s difficult to hold an accurate census to determine the number of residents in Fez, today Ville Nouvelle is the most populated part of the city and has around 1.3 million inhabitants.
Most of the people who live in this area have their own cultural characteristics and live in a fairly European style. In fact, it’s estimated that the average income of people who live in Ville Nouvelle is four times greater than that of Fez’s other residents.
The borders of Ville Nouvelle are set by Fez’s old medina on one side and the Fez and Mehraz rivers on the other. Large green spaces spread out next to the rivers and are used for leisure by the residents of Fez and visitors to the city.
As in other new neighbourhoods in Morocco’s biggest cities, Ville Nouvelle in Fez is set around two main roads: Boulevard Mohammed V and Avenue Hassan II. The latter is where you’ll find the greatest concentration of shops, cafés, bakeries, patisseries and ice cream parlours in the city.
The Bank of Morocco and Place de Florence lie at the junction of these two roads.
These tree-lined streets are lush with palm trees and there are fountains and gardens at the centre, so they’re the perfect place to rest or take an afternoon stroll and people-watch, just like many of Fez’s residents like to do.
Another important space in Ville Nouvelle is Kennedy Plaza, which is home to Iman Malik Mosque. The mosque was built in a modern style and is one of the largest in the city.
Al Houria Cultural Centre is also close by; it’s home to several institutions including the library of the Instituto Cervantes, plus exhibition rooms and an auditorium.
Avenue Hassan II ends close to the road that takes you to Ifrane and finishes in the project known as Fès City Center, the most modern part of the city to date and home to large houses, offices, hotels and trendy shopping centres. It’s close to the Royal Palace, which, like those in the rest of Morocco, isn’t open to the public but you get a glimpse of extreme luxury and opulence.
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