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Published: November 21st 2023
I have to admit that I probably knew less about Fes than any of the other cities in Morocco, but after having observed the immense 8th century Medina the previous afternoon and our stay at a beautiful Riad within it, I was really excited to explore what Fes was about.
The 8th Century Fes el Bali Medina is a UNESCO Heritage site, and makes the others look like a child's maze. The claim is that it has 10,000 streets, by which I mean some being just wide enough to traverse single file and in perpetual gloom because of the high walls. It is so densely populated that the majority of the inhabitants are only familiar with the area that they live or work in and would get lost in any other part of the Medina. The architecture is typical Arabic, with anonymous doors that can hide elaborate mansions or a poor man's house.
We had seen beggars in other places, but here they were more prevalent. I meant to ask about them because of what we had been told about the family responsibilities that are expected in the Moroccan society. Children are supposed to take care of parents, and
relatives in general are supposed to help out family members that need help. Any other behavior is seriously frowned upon, and persons who ignore those responsibilities may well find themselves ostracized. So, my imagination kept running wild about the circumstances every time I saw one of those gnarly old people in a heap in a dark alleyway with their hand extended. But I hesitated too long and ended up never asking for an explanation.
Our first stop was the Souk, which was crowded and covered a large area with a variety of stalls. Other sections, where craftsmen still practice their trades the traditional way, were dedicated to a specific craft with gates that could be closed at night. Unfortunately, many of those traditional methods are rare now because the younger generations do not want to learn them anymore. During our explorations, we were very careful not to lose track of our local guide after the many jokes we had to listen to about lost tourists in the Medina.
Many turns and turns through the alleyways of the Medina took us to a carpet shop where I made my second unplanned purchase, a small rug with one of those
colorful tribal designs I had admired before. Unfortunately, upon returning home I found that the spot I had in mind for it didn't work out, so I had to go to plan B, but I like the end result. The shop itself was located inside a beautiful Riad, but we found out that it's being sold. No doubt there will be another hotel or B&B there in the future.
Meandering through the Medina, we passed by the exterior of the Al Karaouine mosque, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss where we were able to take a peek inside, but we were not allowed to enter. Mosques in Morocco are closed to non-Muslims, but we were told that it was a rule established by the French to show some respect to the Moroccans, and not a decision made by the Moroccans themselves.
Our next stop was the Al-Attarine Madrasa. It is considered one of the highest achievements of Marinid architecture and it has been classified as a historic heritage monument since 1915.
The madrasas provided accommodations for students, particularly those coming from outside of Fes. Many of these students were poor, seeking sufficient education to gain a higher
position in their hometowns, and the madrasas provided them with basic necessities such as lodging and bread. However, the madrasas were also teaching institutions in their own right and offered their own courses. This particular one has thirty student rooms on the second level.
After leaving the madrasa, our next stop was a well-deserved rest and food stop at another gorgeous Riad converted into a restaurant. The chicken tagine was delicious, served with another of those bewildering ride and vegetables appetizer dishes. During the meal I wished I had held on to it. I think the tagine would have been good served with the rice.
Rested and fortified, we made our way to one of the leather shops for a view of the famous Chouara Tannery, the largest tannery in the city and one of the oldest. It has many stone vats filled with different colored dyes and white liquids. The hides of cows, sheep, goats, and camels are processed by first soaking them in the white liquids, which include mixtures of cow urine and pigeon feces, to clean and soften the skins to prepare them for the dyeing solutions. There are natural colorants such as
poppy for
Souk
One of the multi-function donkeys used in the Medinas. red,
indigo for blue, and
henna for orange. The entire process consists of manual labor and methods used since medieval times. Needless to say, there are many health concerns associated with the tanneries.
Our last stop in Fes el Bali was the Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts. This museum is in a wonderfully restored funduq. Caravans stored and sold their goods downstairs and lodged on the upper floors. The rooms now display traditional craftsmen's tools and wooden artifacts. To me, the beautiful building was more interesting than the exhibits.
After exiting Fes el Bali, we made our way to Fes Jdid, the newer Medina, where the Royal Palace and the adjacent Jewish Quarter are. We didn't venture far into the Jewish Quarter, dedicating more time to visit the Cemetery and hear about some of the notable persons buried there. Afterwards we stopped by the gates of the royal palace, supposedly the most beautiful of the royal palaces.
It was a hot day, so we were grateful to return to the hotel to freshen up and rest a bit before setting out to explore the area around the hotel. Eventually we discovered a lively small plaza
and a small cafe with outdoor sitting, where I decided to try the Pastilla dish I had heard so much about. The pastry crust filled with chicken was very good but, once again, I found that the slightly sweetened seasoning was easy to get tired of quickly. Just my palate used to a much different seasoning style.
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