The main ceremonial gate into Fes el-Bali and the most photographed landmark in the city. The horseshoe arches are faced with blue zellige tilework on the medina side and green on the outside — the dominant colours of Fez. Every morning a steady stream of donkeys, schoolchildren, tourists, and traders passes through its three arches.
Just inside the gate is the main artery into the medina, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira — "the big slope" and "the little slope" — where the most concentrated stretch of craft workshops in the city begins. Bread sellers, spice stalls, and the pervasive smell of cumin mark the first few minutes; further in, the alleys narrow and the city tightens around you.