The Wonderland of Fez and the Medina

Our group is heading out for a day-long tour in Fez/Fes at a time when bright-eyed children are going to school. 

Dads and moms walk their children to school, which is mandatory through age 15. Education is free, although many parents choose to send their children to private schools.

Men are often gathered for coffee and gossip. We were told that this group was likely here before their work day.

The fellow in blue on the right is shining a customer’s shoes.

I don’t know what the two men are pointing at, but it might be a discussion over scruffy shoes.

Perhaps these ladies are out for a stroll or heading to the market. They are wearing djellabas, which is a long garment or robe worn over clothes. Sometimes it has a pointed hood. Djellabas are practical, very common, and worn everywhere.

The Medina walkways can get very narrow and wander hither and yon in ways that, for us, require a guide.

You can't tell a book by its cover or the state of a dwelling (be it a palatial Riad, a smaller Dar, or a hovel) by its door. Many doors have two sizes: one is very big and used for formal visitors or to move large items. The other is smaller, and to allow people to stoop upon entry to show respect. There are also different knockers. One is for familiar people and the other for unknown visitors.

Our local guide, Ahmed, grew up in the Medina and knows every "street." Here, he is talking about the beautiful mosaic work in the Madrasa Bou Inania. This Madrasa (an institute of higher learning) was founded in 1351–56. The building is acclaimed for its architecture. 

Bab Bou Jeloud is an ornate city gate entrance to the Medina (old city) of Fez. It was built by the French colonial administration in 1913 to serve as the grand entrance to the old city. Although it is known as the Blue Gate because the other side from this view is covered in blue mosaic,

this side is covered in green mosaic. Green is considered to be the color of Islam.

The Medina is a place of contrasts. For instance, this elaborate restaurant is positioned on top of traditional market stalls.

Walking toward us is a man in a business suit. He might live in the Medina, or he might have done some market shopping. By contrast, a loaded donkey is heading into the market to make deliveries. Two mosque minarets are in the distance. Unlike Turkey, Moroccan mosques only have one four-sided minaret.

The following are some pictures from the food market. It was absolutely packed with people. We were advised to be subtle and respectful when taking photos. (I was disappointed to have missed the camel head.)

Fresh chicken, anyone?

The lady below is making filo dough.

This little supermarket shop has a bit of everything.

Son, Blake, will appreciate this photo. He helps a friend with pig butchering.

Fez was once a Jewish community of 20,000. Now, there are fewer than 20. We visited the Jewish cemetery where people are still being buried, even if they live elsewhere.

As with other pre-modern city walls, the ramparts of Fes served both a defensive and a controlling function. They protected the city from attack and kept out strangers. City gates were typically closed and locked at night; travelers would not generally have been able to enter the city at a late hour.

The Royal Palace or Dar al-Makhzen is the palace of the King of Morocco in the city of Fez. It doesn't look like much from the exterior, which is all we can see. There is a residence, garden, and administrative quarters inside. Politically, Morocco is a unitary semi-constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The executive branch is led by the King of Morocco and the prime minister, while legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament: the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors.

This shot of the Medina was taken from a viewpoint to which the group was taken.

The following photos were taken from crafts and housewares producing shops within the Medina.

Yarn and thread dying and drying.

A lamp shop that carries cut-brass lamps and items made elsewhere.

Hand-hammered copper pots and pans were beautiful and laborious.

We were told that the seated gentleman was the "governor" of the copper pot producers. What he says, goes. He inscribes and "tools" pots using ancient methods. (I hope I got that correct.)

In an earlier post, there was a loaded donkey or mule carrying items into the Medina. Hand carts (like big wheelbarrows) and donkeys are efficient ways to deliver and move items in the market areas because of the narrow and crowded alleyways. They are much gentler "vehicles" than what we experienced in Marrakesh, where scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles zipped around the crowded narrow souk (i.e., market) passages.

We visited a rug merchant in a beautiful Riad. We were served mint tea and cookies. Rugs were unfurled on the floor in an effort to dazzle our eyes and tempt our wallets. No one in our group was tempted enough. Our guide, Ahmed, introduced us to the jovial rug company manager who introduced each rug. Most of them had Berber designs, which were my personal favorite.

The leather factory/shop was a personal favorite, primarily for the photo opportunities. I've long been fascinated by these photos and was "dying" to capture my own. We weren't in the market for any purses, poofs, or jackets, although they were quite stunning. But not cheap. Bob bought a belt that is much too big. Although the women's wallets were lovely, $80 is above my price. They were much less expensive in the leather market in Chania, Crete.

Look at the leather stretched for drying on the right walls. They use goat, sheep, and camel skin. Camel is considered to be the best. Pigeon poop is used to bleach out the leather and get it ready for dying. (I'm unclear as to where they harvest pigeon poop.)

Time to wrap this day up. Bob and I walked down alley, street, and around a corner to the Cinema Cafe where I had a beef tagine with veggies (zucchini, potato, turnip, carrot). Tagines are cooked on top of a stove in a clay dish with a pyramid top to keep the steam in. They are healthy and delicious. Look at the bubbles still boiling in the dish. Bob went for a pizza that was a very thin crust and tasty.