Dar al-Magana (Water Clock), Fes

Across Talaa Kebira, almost facing the entrance to the Bou Inania Madrasa, stands one of Fes’s most stubborn mysteries: Dar al-Magana, the city’s medieval water clock. Built in the late 13th century by Abou ’l-Hassan Ali—a scholar better known for trigonometry and practical astronomy—this wasn’t just a timekeeper, but a serious scientific message. Today, the carved wooden façade has been carefully restored, while the missing metal parts are still on the waiting list, part of a wider effort to bring the Medina’s overlooked landmarks back to life.

Now for the riddle. The clock runs on water and gravity and is lined with 13 small windows and platforms. Seven of them still hold their original brass bowls, patiently doing nothing. No one has managed to fully decode how the mechanism worked, which is impressive given how long people have been staring at it. According to medieval descriptions, each hour triggered a small performance: a window would open, a weight would drop, and—clang—it would land in a bowl below, marking the passage of time with sound as much as motion.

So, what you’re looking at isn’t a broken clock—it’s a paused experiment from the Middle Ages. A reminder that Fes once measured time with water, mathematics, and a touch of mystery, and that some questions are still allowed to remain unanswered...