Place des Alaouites is the broad formal square that faces the main entrance to the Royal Palace of Fez. The seven sets of ornate brass doors — each set flanked by columns, decorated with carved cedar and zellige tilework, and surmounted by carved stone pediments — make up the most theatrical facade in the city outside the medina. Enormous zellige-lined fountains occupy each end of the square.
The doors cannot be entered — the palace is still in active royal use — but the square itself is open and pleasant to walk through. In the mornings, local families and pigeons share the space; in the evenings it fills up with cyclists and children. From Place des Alaouites, you can easily walk east into Fes el-Jdid and the Mellah, or continue south toward the Ville Nouvelle.