*Exploring the social, spatial, and identity dynamics of the millennial city*
Fès, a historic city founded in the 9th century, carries the complex heritage of a place at the crossroads between tradition and modernity. Its labyrinthine streets, lively neighborhoods, and majestic monuments bear witness to centuries of greatness and cultural intermingling. However, beneath this surface lies a society deeply marked by divisions, rooted in history and still evident in the everyday lives of its inhabitants. These divisions, both social and spatial, reflect identity processes that pit the original Fassis against rural migrants, often referred to as "roubis." At the heart of these tensions is a struggle for recognition and belonging within the city, a crucial issue that shapes social interactions and the organization of urban space.
For generations, the original Fassis, also known as *ahl Fâs* or *ouled Fâs* (children of Fès), have claimed an almost exclusive right to the city. Their identity is built on family lineages deeply embedded in the traditions and history of Fès. For these long-established families, being "Fassi" is not merely a matter of residence but a complex identity construction rooted in genealogy, culture, and urbanity. This sense of belonging is strongly tied to central neighborhoods within the medina, such as the *qaâ*—the historic heart of the city, which symbolizes the essence of refined urban life in their eyes.
In contrast, rural migrants, often referred to as *roubis*, are seen as outsiders, even after several generations of residence in Fès. For the Fassis, these newcomers can never claim true urbanity. They typically inhabit the city's peripheries or popular neighborhoods, often labeled as *douars* or *karyas* (villages), highlighting their perceived ruralness. This dichotomy between Fassis and Roubiya is both geographical and social, structuring urban life and reflected in language use and social relations.
The social and spatial division of Fès is deeply rooted in a complex history that dates back to its founding. The city developed on two banks of the Oued Boukhrareb river: the right bank housed Madinat Fâs, a city originally Berber, while the left bank, Fès el-‘Aliya, was developed by Idris II with the help of Arab settlers. This original duality evolved over centuries with the arrival of new populations, notably Andalusians, Kairouanese, and the Marinids, who transformed Fès into a cosmopolitan and refined city. However, these migrations also reinforced social and spatial distinctions. Each group left its mark on the city, creating distinct neighborhoods with their own institutions, customs, and ways of life.
Under successive dynasties, particularly with the rise of the Marinids, the division between the two banks of Fès became institutionalized. The Marinids, themselves from Berber tribes, chose to establish a new city, Fès Jdid, upstream from Fès el-Bali. This new city, primarily serving as an administrative and military center, was inhabited by the elite in the service of the Makhzen, the Bni-Merine tribes, and the Jewish community in the Mellah (Jewish quarter). This tripartite division between Fès el-Bali, Fès Jdid, and the "Ville Nouvelle" (New City) built by the French in the early 20th century profoundly structured the urban space, creating social hierarchies that still persist today.
In the early 20th century, the arrival of French colonial authorities introduced a new dynamic of urban transformation. By creating a "Ville Nouvelle" (New City) away from the medina, the French shifted the economic and political center of Morocco towards coastal cities like Casablanca and Rabat. Fès, once the beating heart of Morocco, lost much of its prominence. The "Ville Nouvelle," designed to accommodate French settlers and officials, became a symbol of modernity, while the medina of Fès el-Bali, with its narrow streets and old houses, was relegated to the status of a devalued "old" quarter.
This shift also affected social dynamics. Wealthy Fassis gradually left the medina to settle in the Ville Nouvelle or other major cities. This exodus left a void quickly filled by rural migrants seeking better living conditions. However, this rapid urbanization occurred without any real support structures or integration mechanisms. The newcomers found themselves marginalized in peripheral neighborhoods, exacerbating tensions between the original Fassis and the newly arrived urbanites.
Despite these divisions, Fassi society is evolving. Rural migrants, though stigmatized, are beginning to assert their place within the city. The term "roubi," once used to marginalize them, has been reclaimed by some as a symbol of resistance and pride. These *roubiya*, whether illiterate or university graduates, poor or wealthy, often maintain strong ties to their rural origins while asserting their right to a full urban existence.
At the same time, the original Fassis can no longer resist the changes affecting their city. Marriages between Fassis and rural migrants are becoming more common, identity barriers are breaking down, and new elites are emerging. This process is accelerated by the economic and social transformations occurring throughout Morocco, where criteria for distinction are changing. Increasingly, behaviors related to class relations and economic interests take precedence over considerations of geographic or cultural origins.
In this context, the terms "Fassi" and "roubi" are taking on new meanings. The traditional urban refinement of the Fassis is still valued by some but is also sometimes mocked by rural inhabitants, who laugh at the accent or habits of the medina residents. Moreover, even the Fassis themselves are not immune to stigmatization: what was once a mark of distinction is sometimes now a subject of critique, reflecting frustrations related to the degradation of economic and social conditions.
Today, Fès finds itself at a crossroads in its history. Identity images and claims are multiplying, nourished by diverse and contradictory influences. As the city increasingly opens to modernity and traditional distinctions lose their importance, new challenges arise. Rapid urbanization, growing poverty, and social changes are profoundly transforming the relationships between different categories of the population.
The symbolic boundaries that once separated Fassis from Roubiya have not disappeared but are being redrawn according to new criteria, particularly economic ones. The process of integrating rural migrants is no longer just about bringing them into the Fassi community; it is now about integrating this difference into a rapidly changing urban fabric.
Fès, this millennial city, remains a theater of complex identity dynamics where tradition and modernity coexist, often in conflict. The city continues to bear the marks of a rich history and deeply rooted divisions, but it is also reinventing itself in response to contemporary challenges. As old distinctions fade, new forms of belonging emerge, redefining what it means to be Fassi or urban in a society undergoing perpetual transformation. Fès thus remains a mirror of Morocco's diversity, a city in transition where every inhabitant seeks to find their place in an ever-evolving landscape.