New Mechouar and Dar al-Makina (former Arms Factory), Fes

North of the Old Mechouar, through the grand Bab Dekkakin gate, you'll find the New Mechouar, established in the late 19th century. Originally, its western boundary was a large Marinid aqueduct constructed in 1286 to supply water to the Mosara Garden in the north; you can still make out the faint outline of its arches within the wall today. The northern entrance to the New Mechouar, named the "Gate of the Butter Niche", also originates from the 1886 construction.

On the western side of the square stands a gateway in the Italianate style, which used to be part of a former arms factory set up by Moulay Hassan in 1886 with the assistance of Italian officers. This factory represented one of the earliest endeavors towards industrialization in Fes and was part of the sultan's drive to modernize the Moroccan military to rival European powers, although its impact was limited.

Today, the factory sits idle and partially ruined, having been repurposed more recently as the primary venue for the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.