Fez

Founded shortly after the Arabs exploded across North Africa and Spain, Fès quickly became the country's religious and cultural centre, shaped by each of the great dynasties and by its population's roots in Muslim Spain and the Arab east. The fertile countryside allowed the city to grow quickly, and nurture a reputation for culture and learning. Any Fassi will be quick to point out that the city created the world's first university, centuries before Oxford and Cambridge were a twinkle in anyone's eye. With learning came Islamic orthodoxy. Green - the colour of Islam - is also the colour of Fès, endlessly repeated on its tiles and doors.