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Published: January 16th 2020
Leaving the remarkable ruins of Volubilis behind us, thoughts about what we had just seen in the historic Roman city still rambled around in our brains but it was time to move on. Driving in an easterly direction, our destination was the city of Fes, once the capital of Morocco and an important trade crossroads. So far the landscape had been rather bland and sparsely populated with only a few unremarkable buildings and houses making an appearance. The most interesting sights for me were several huge stork nests perched atop spindly electricity/phone poles near small buildings.They were a nice surprise.
Only 20 miles from Fes, the geographical monotony was broken when we unexpectedly saw a lake peeking out of the nearby valley with the Middle Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. Near the far end, the sky-blue lake lapped at the edge of a green and fertile shoreline like an oasis while a layer of red earth streaked through the grayish-brown mountains beyond. Larbi explained what we were seeing was a man-made reservoir which is known as the Sidi Chahed Dam Reservoir or Hassan II Dam. Built in the 1990’s, it was constructed to provide drinking water to Meknes, for field
irrigation and to contain runoff from the mountains. This reservoir lake was one of the many geographical surprises that Morocco held for us.
Once in Fes' city limits, Larbi arranged for a quick stop in the Ville Nouvelle district at Carrefour, a French retail supermarket where wine and beer were available for purchase among other groceries. No prompting was needed for most of the guys in our group to make a mad dash for the store. Rick came back with a big smile on his face along with a couple bottles of Moroccan wine (one for a gift) and 6 Casablanca beers. The sun was just setting as we drove into the Fes el Bali district, the oldest walled section of Fes where the Riad Salam Fes was located. Not being able to navigate narrow lanes or alleys, our tour bus dropped us off near a fountain located in the roundabout several blocks away.
In contrast to the looks of the surrounding neighborhood, access to the Riad’s tiny entry area is through grand brass doors surrounded by vividly colored Moroccan tiles. What lies beyond was nothing less than magical for me. Down the steps from entry we gathered
in a large reception room lined with comfortable sofas, chairs and tables for arriving guests. Within minutes we were extended a gracious welcome in the form of being served small glasses of hot mint tea, a traditionally Moroccan style of hospitality and one I came to love.
We were handed a brass key to Room #7, the Hbibti Suite, a large oblong room furnished in a thoroughly Moroccan style with plenty of charming extras. Our suite faced an inner courtyard or atrium with beautifully carved wood screens and balcony railings. Trailing tendrils of hanging plants draped the mezzanine balconies adding the freshness of an indoor garden. Our room was furnished with a settee and chairs on Moroccan rug; a massive carved wood headboard and beds wrapped in embroidered sheets; a luxurious Moroccan-tiled bathroom complete with brass sink, and an ornate shower with Moorish arched entry. Windows on both sides of the room were of stained glass. A mini-fridge was a welcomed extra. But, perhaps the room’s most charming feature was a corner balcony overlooking the incredibly beautiful pool and solarium area.
For our first night in Fes, we had only to go downstairs to the elegant dining room
where we enjoyed our first traditional Moroccan dinner. Our large corner table for 8 provided a good opportunity to interact with some of our fellow travelers. Appetizers of olives and baskets of khobz bread were followed by cooked salads, tagines of couscous, chicken and several vegetables all served family style. We ended the evening on full stomachs and thoroughly exhausted. Hoping for a good night's rest, we didn't realize how important that would be because the following day would be even more full of activity.
Up early the next morning, we had a delightful breakfast at the hotel and the choices were many: sunny-side up eggs, fresh fruit, rolls & sweet breads, Moroccan pancakes known as msemen, dates, olives, honey & jam, fresh salad vegetables, yogurt, coffee, tea & orange juice. The entire time we were in Morocco, the food served or available to us was so plentiful that at times much of it went uneaten – you couldn’t help but feel guilty of wasting.
Following breakfast, Hassan was introduced to us as our special local guide for Fes. A middle-aged man who exuded extreme confidence, Hassan spoke nearly flawless English, and had encyclopedic knowledge of Fes. Having
more than its fair share of fascinating sites and history, having a guide such as Hassan to bring Fes to life was priceless.
Hassan began our education of Fes with a drive up to Borj Sud, or south tower, of the 16
th-century fortress built by Christian slaves under the rule of Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour. Located on a hill, the Borj Sud was a perfect place for viewing the sprawling length and breadth of Fes’ old city. From this vantage point, we could see important landmarks such as the white minaret of Karaouine (Al Quaraouiyine) University which is considered the oldest continually functioning university in the world.
At mid-morning Hassan took us to Fes’ UNESCO-listed medina and the souk which was already a beehive of activity. Dodging shoppers and shopkeepers, Hassan deftly weaved his way through the souk’s narrow pathways which he obviously knew like the back of his hand. Trailing behind and being neophytes to the souk, getting lost in this labyrinth would all too easy; to prevent this from happening, a nice gentleman acted as our rear guard and kept us from making wrong turns and getting separated from the group and Hassan.
The souk
was immense but there was a pattern to be found here. Souks stalls seemed to be arranged according to what was being sold -- dressmakers, dyers, and fabric shops; shoes and slippers; leather goods; silver jewelry; prepared foods, colorful mounds of spices, nuts and dates; ornamental metal trays, incense burners and lanterns; and even animals. It was fascinating but also at times depressing.
A tourist should be ever vigilant in the souk's narrow pathways as I found out the hard way. While tourists are sightseeing, others are going about their busy workday. For example, men frantically pushing metal carts to make deliveries in the souk. Though we were alerted to this kind of activity and stepped aside when a cart was being pushed by us, an older man, obviously in a rush, miscalculated the clearance between his cart and my leg! His cart slammed into my shin so hard that immediate blow made my eyes tear – needless to say, it was painful and I was embarrassed. The cart pusher only momentarily hesitated, looked at me but did not apologize or show any concern. Would he have acted differently if I were not a tourist and had been a
Moroccan man or woman? Our kindly rear guard gentleman immediately checked to see if I was OK. I was bruised but able to keep going.
In the medina’s souk we visited the Al-Bou Inania Madrasa; founded in AD 1350, it serves as both an educational and religious institution. It is one of the few places in the whole of Morocco which admits non-Islamic visitors (we paid admission and got admitted to the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca), and the only madrasa in Fes with a minaret. The last madrasa to be built by the Merenids, it takes its name from Bou Inan Faris, the sultan who ordered its construction. It has been given the status of Grand Mosque.
Our group sat on benches listening to Hassan explain the history and workings of the madrasa while we admired the lovely architecture and the peaceful setting. It was interesting to see the madrasa’s various component parts beginning with the central courtyard where we gathered and which is surrounded with classrooms on the entrance’s left and right, and the dar al-wuḍūʾ or ablutions room opposite the entrance. A low, lotus-shaped fountain takes center place and is surrounded by a floor of
blue, green, ochre, black and white tiles.
Entrance to the other rooms and higher floors is gained through distinctive Moroccan-style arched doorways. We climbed to the upper levels of the madrasa to see the cells, or single rooms in which students lived. These small, austere living spaces only had a small window for light and air which seemed to be in sharp contrast to the more luxurious courtyard space with its elaborate tile work, carved limestone arches and pediments, pierced hanging lamps, fountain and carved wood balconies.
We next made a fairly brief stop in the sunny open area known as Safferine Square where we enjoyed watching the coppersmiths at work creating useful as well as artistic copper items. For several minutes I watched a young apprentice beating a large copper tray into shape and he seemed happy for the attention of our group. All around him hung copper pots, ladles, coffee or tea pots, tagines and more. It seems like laborious work for the young man but an man, perhaps the craftsman he was apprenticed to, checked on the progress of his work -- it was an interesting to see how much work goes into handmade items.
A short distance away was the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts which was housed in a nicely restored Funduq or caravanserai formerly used by traveling merchants as a place to store as well as sell goods while lodging on the floors above. Rooms positioned off to the sides of the central courtyard or atrium held exhibits of beautiful woodworking craftsmanship in many forms but especially furniture. The museum itself had elaborately carved wood balcony screens, rails and architectural ornamentation.
I had been looking at a young woman who constantly peered from a balcony onto the courtyard below and soon found out that she was employed to keep watch on visitors – a person from our group foolishly handled one of the exhibits and she quickly rebuked him for his actions!
Following Nejjarine, Hassan he led us once more through the maze of alleys and pathways before coming to our intended lunch spot which was located on an upper level. I missed seeing the name of the restaurant on the way in but the interior was lovely with Moroccan tiled floors and columns. Plates and plates of food were served, and even with 8 people at
our table we could not finish it all – a large basket of khobz bread, rice mixed with vegetables, green olives, carrot slices, chicken tagine with preserved lemon, purple olives and chick peas, eggplant zaalouk, and Moroccan white bean stew called loubia were set before us. It was a lovely meal to be sure.
Perhaps it was a good thing that we ate in advance of visiting the Chouaras Tannery. As we entered the multi-story building, we were handed a sprig of mint not really understanding what we were intended to do with it. However, we soon found out though I’m not sure that anything can prepare you for what you will smell here even if you are familiar with the tanning process.
Climbing narrow stairs with uneven steps to an upper floor, we an unobstructed view over a honeycomb of stone vats filled with dye colors ranging from very vivid to muted which some liken to a painter’s palette. Wedged into a sliver of land between buildings in the medina, men were working with hides in the vats so close to the intense smell of urine that it’s almost incomprehensible how they endure it; even with the
mint sprigs held to our nose the smell was nearly unbearable.
We were given a short tutorial on the different types of leather resulting from tanning camel, cow and sheep skins. Examples of the different leathers were passed around and it was quickly apparent that the cow skin was buttery soft to the touch compared to camel and sheep skin, but a man touting “sheep is cheap,” and sheep skin was not a bad second place winner. Amazing that out of all this comes beautiful leather products of all types which were also being sold here.
Shopping opportunities presented themselves at every corner and even closer as with the hawkers who followed us everywhere; after a while it became very annoying as they wouldn’t take no for an answer. To acknowledge the hawker in any fashion is a flagrant mistake. I finally bought some bracelets, which I liked, from one man who wanted more than I was willing to pay him, but he took what I offered and I thought I got a very good deal and the bracelets made great presents.
Next, there was the obligatory visit to a rug/carpet store where we were welcomed with
glasses of hot mint tea. We sat on low benches lining the display room while the virtues of Moroccan carpets were extolled at length. The rug designs and colors were indeed beautiful and the rug twirling salesmen displayed rug upon rug, each one more striking than the one before.
I guess my husband was suitably impressed because he bought a small rug which had beautiful colors and design. The sale transaction was completed and the rug was expertly wrapped in a fashion that made it easy to carry home. Finally, we were on our way and not a minute too soon as I had hit my limit for high pressure sales pitches for one day!
Our day was not nearly over yet as we stopped to see the very beautiful Bab Boujloud gate. I easily favored it over Meknes’ more famous Bab Mansour. Bab Boujloud features a main entry arch flanked by 2 smaller but identical entry gates on either side. All 3 of the Moorish arches facing away from the medina are framed by lacy carved stone, deep blue zellij tilework, topped by glazed green tiles and crenellations. The interior side of the gate differs only in
that the zellij tiles are green.
Moroccans are considered a tolerant society and I saw nothing to dispute that. Not very far away from the medina we visited the Jewish Cemetery of Fes in the Mellah, or Jewish quarter of Fes. This late 8
th to early 9
th century cemetery had the support of Moroccan Jewish Burial Societies – a cornerstone of community volunteers providing important services and support to the dying, deceased, as well as to the cemetery’s functioning. Guarded by a solid iron gate, the cemetery’s many above-ground crypts were made of concrete or marble and engraved in Hebrew with the name of and information about the deceased. The newer crypt stones were engraved in both Hebrew and French.
Our tour of Fes ended with a visit to the King’s Palace or Dar el-Makhzen, which though not open to the public, is worth a few minutes to see the 7 gates and their magnificent brass doors and matching brass door knockers. Each gate is named after a day of the week.
Arriving when there were few tourists in Place des Alaouites, the square or mechouar in front of the palace, and that was a definite advantage
for photos and ability to admire the doors so closely. The 1960s built palace the beautifully patterned brass shines like gold when the sun is out. Nearly the whole façade other than the doors is covered in tilework which is overhung by carved cedar ornamental woodwork and green, glazed roof tiles. Between the 1
st and 2
nd and 6
th and 7
th doors Moroccan flags fly freely in the breeze to add even more distinction and color to the setting.
From this point we had just over an hour to return to our riad and ready ourselves for a wonderful home-hosted dinner with a family in Fes. Both our tour guide, Larbi, knew this family personally and our group of 20 was warmly welcomed. This was not an ordinary family, but a quite well-to-do family with a well-furnished, modern apartment.
After introductions were made, we took seats at round tables which were set with china and stemware. The meal was all homemade with the help of the mother-in-law, and dinner groups such as ours are hosted only several times a month. Dinner included chicken tagines with preserved lemon and olives, cooked salads of all types, khobz bread, fresh salads, and
plates of olives. Dessert included cookies and other sweets accompanied by mint tea. Absolutely no one would leave hungry from this dinner.
While dessert was being enjoyed, we learned that the husband was a designer of furniture and interiors while the wife also designs and embroiders high-end kaftans although now she only does this for friends and family. The husband brought out several examples of his wife’s work for us and you could see he was very proud of his wife’s talent.
At the end of the evening, the host family thanked everyone personally for coming to their home and sharing a meal. They were extremely kind and we were allowed to take photos of both them and their lovely home.
Back in our beautiful riad, I couldn't resist taking even more photos before going back to our suite. Then, it was literally only minutes before I was in bed and asleep. No energy to even jot down travel notes in my journal for the 4
th night in a row.
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Easymalc
non-member comment
The Many Faces of Fes
That sounded like a cracking day out and the riad looks lovely. You've taken some smashing pictures too!