The Jnan Sbil Gardens (Arabic: جنان السبيل; also spelled Jnane Sbile from the French transliteration), also known as the Bou Jeloud Gardens, is public garden in Fez, Morocco, located between Fes el-Jdid and Fes el-Bali, the two sections of the old medina.
The gardens were created in the 19th century by Sultan Moulay Hassan I (ruled 1873-1894), who was responsible for building the walls which connected Fes el-Jdid with Fes el-Bali for the first time.[1][2]: 296 [3]: 100 The gardens were placed inside the corridor between these walls, where the sultan also erected new summer palaces, such as the nearby Dar el-Beida.[4][3]
The gardens were originally exclusive to royal elites and were connected to the Royal Palace by an underground passage, before being fully opened to the public in 1917.[4] After a period of neglect, they were recently renovated between 2006 and 2010 on the initiative of King Mohammed VI and reopened in 2011.[5][6]
The gardens occupy approximately 7.5 hectares.[7][6] Today they are one of the few rare urban green spaces in the old city and are a popular leisure spot, especially at dusk.[8] They are decorated with colourful fountains and are planted with over 3000 species, including subsections labelled the "Andalusian Garden", the "Mexican Garden", and the "Bamboo Garden".[7] The garden is regularly open during daylight hours but is normally closed on Mondays.[6] It serves as one of the venues for the annual World Sacred Music Festival.[8][6]
The gardens are located along the course of the local river (the Oued Fes or Oued el-Jawahir) and the historic water channels which provided water to the old city.[3] Accordingly, some historic norias (water wheels) are also located in the area: one in the eastern part of the gardens and a larger one on the western edge of the gardens.[7][6] The southern part of the gardens is occupied by a large pool. The far side of the pool is overlooked by the old ramparts of Fes el-Jdid and by a large 16th-century Saadian bastion known as Borj Sheikh Ahmed.[3]
