Medina quarter

Mule moving goods through the car-free Medina in Fes, Morocco

A medina quarter (Arabic: المدينة القديمة‎‎ al-madīnah al-qadīmah "the old city") is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. The medina is typically walled, with many narrow and maze-like streets.[1] The word "medina" (Arabic: مدينة‎‎ madīnah) itself simply means "city" or "town" in modern-day Arabic.

Description

Medina quarters often contain historical fountains, palaces, and mosques.

Because of the very narrow streets, medinas are generally free from car traffic, and in some cases even motorcycle and bicycle traffic. The streets can be less than a metre wide. This makes them unique among highly populated urban centres. The Medina of Fes, or Fes el Bali, is considered one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world.[2] Some medinas were also used to confuse and slow down invaders because of how narrow and winding they are.

List

Medina Tripoli, Libya
Medina Tangier, Morocco

Algeria

Libya

Malta

Morocco

Tunisia

Locations of ruined medinas

References

  1. ↑ "Medina definition". Oxford English Dictionary.
  2. ↑ "7 car-free cities". Mother Nature Network.
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