Fes, Morocco · UTC+1 ☆

Fes, Morocco’s oldest imperial capital, runs on Morocco Time: UTC+1 for most of the year, with an annual reversion to UTC+0 during Ramadan. Morocco abolished the old European-style DST in 2018 and settled into a permanent UTC+1 baseline,[4] but the Ramadan exception remains in place. During the holy month, clocks fall back to UTC+0 before advancing again when Ramadan ends. The exact dates shift each year because Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar.

the medina’s time: prayer, not UTC

The medina of Fes el-Bali is a large car-free urban area — a 300-hectare historic core where narrow medieval lanes preclude motor traffic.[6] It operates on a rhythm that predates modern timekeeping. The adhan (call to prayer) from the University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 857–859 CE and recognised by UNESCO as one of the world’s oldest educational institutions,[5] marks five prayer times daily, each calculated from the position of the sun. These times shift gradually through the year regardless of what UTC+1 says. A craftsman in the tanneries of Chouara starts his day by the fajr prayer, not by a clock.

Fes sits at 34 degrees north, where solar noon falls around 12:30pm in winter and 1:30pm when Morocco used to observe DST. Now at permanent UTC+1, solar noon is around 12:30pm throughout the year, reasonably aligned with clock noon. The medina’s narrow streets and high walls create their own light patterns: direct sun hits different alleys at different hours, and experienced residents read the light to tell time more accurately than any posted clock.

Convert 9am Fes time to London

Read more about time in Morocco →