The Jnan Sbil Gardens (Arabic: جنان السبيل; also spelled Jnane Sbile from the French transliteration), also known as the Bou Jeloud Gardens, is public garden in Fez, Morocco, located between Fes el-Jdid and Fes el-Bali, the two sections of the old medina.
History
editThe gardens were created in the 19th century by Sultan Moulay Hassan I (ruled 1873-1894), who was responsible for building the walls which connected Fes el-Jdid with Fes el-Bali for the first time.[1][2]: 296 [3]: 100 The gardens were placed inside the corridor between these walls, where the sultan also erected new summer palaces, such as the nearby Dar el-Beida.[4][3]
The gardens were originally exclusive to royal elites and were connected to the Royal Palace by an underground passage, before being fully opened to the public in 1917.[4] After a period of neglect, they were recently renovated between 2006 and 2010 on the initiative of King Mohammed VI and reopened in 2011.[5][6]
Description
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The gardens occupy approximately 7.5 hectares.[7][6] Today they are one of the few rare urban green spaces in the old city and are a popular leisure spot, especially at dusk.[8] They are decorated with colourful fountains and are planted with over 3000 species, including subsections labelled the "Andalusian Garden", the "Mexican Garden", and the "Bamboo Garden".[7] The garden is regularly open during daylight hours but is normally closed on Mondays.[6] It serves as one of the venues for the annual World Sacred Music Festival.[8][6]
The gardens are located along the course of the local river (the Oued Fes or Oued el-Jawahir) and the historic water channels which provided water to the old city.[3] Accordingly, some historic norias (water wheels) are also located in the area: one in the eastern part of the gardens and a larger one on the western edge of the gardens.[7][6] The southern part of the gardens is occupied by a large pool. The far side of the pool is overlooked by the old ramparts of Fes el-Jdid and by a large 16th-century Saadian bastion known as Borj Sheikh Ahmed.[3]
References
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- ^ Bressolette, Henri; Delaroziere, Jean (1983). "Fès-Jdid de sa fondation en 1276 au milieu du XXe siècle". Hespéris-Tamuda: 245–318.
- ^ Métalsi, Mohamed (2003). Fès: La ville essentielle. Paris: ACR Édition Internationale. ISBN 978-2867701528.
- ^ a b c d Le Tourneau, Roger (1949). Fès avant le protectorat: étude économique et sociale d'une ville de l'occident musulman. Casablanca: Société Marocaine de Librairie et d'Édition.
- ^ a b Parker, Richard (1981). A practical guide to Islamic Monuments in Morocco. Charlottesville, VA: The Baraka Press. p. 126.
- ^ "Jardin Jnan Sbil | Fes | Morocco | AFAR". www.afar.com. 2018-02-14. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
- ^ a b c d e "Fès/Tourisme: Jnane Sbil sur les traces du Jardin de Majorelle". L'Economiste (in French). 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
- ^ a b c "Gardens and forests – Regional Council of Tourism FEZ". Retrieved 2020-03-19.
- ^ a b "Jnan Sbil | Fez, Morocco Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2020-03-18.