Pictures: Lyle Such
Words: Thu Buu
Camera: Canon 5d MkIV
The Old Medina in Fez, the cultural center of Morocco, seeps with ancient secrets and throbs with a mixture of old and modern life. Its streets are narrow and dark and claustrophobic. Each alley is lined with towering walls hiding much of the skies above. Dead ends and sharp unexpected turns can evaporate one’s sense of direction. The Old Medina in Fez is a maze that enraptures all one’s senses to their most heightened levels.
We had reserved one of the few hotels with a large rooftop balcony to take in all the sights and sounds of Fez from above. We ordered dinner and asked to be served on the roof as we wanted to see the sun set on this lively city. Sure enough, on one corner a bunch of little boys were kicking a soccer ball around while a little sister tagged along whining to be included. On another street, hip-hop music blared loudly crowding out any other sounds nearby. Life was being fully lived in these close quarters unlike in Marrakech where it felt more like a theme park for tourists’ enjoyment.
The next morning, we had an extremely compact half-day tour of the medina with a very knowledgeable local guide. Thank goodness because there was no way of navigating the alleys by ourselves without getting lost. If we had more time, we could have wandered around, but we were on a tight schedule this morning.
Due to the narrow streets, trash in the Old Medina is still picked up the old fashion way, by donkey power.
Many entryways and doors are so ornately designed using a combination of many different types of material, yet they do not feel gaudy or over-the-top. They are truly beautiful works of art.
Spaced out within the medina are many public water fountains like this one. People come throughout the day with their jugs and buckets to collect the water they need.
Unlike the mismatched shops in the souks of Marrakesh, the souks in Fez are well organized and categorized. Each souk occupies an alley with doors on each end with shops providing services or selling items pertaining to that souk.
Behind a set of heavy wooden doors, the prayer hall of Al-Attarine Madrasa offers reprieve from the loud, hectic life in a busy city. This sanctuary has taken on many roles throughout its history, including an extension of the university at the height of its popularity.
Although we were not permitted inside the oldest university in the world, Al Quaraouiyine Mosque, which boasts of its continuous operation as a place of higher learning since the mid 800s, we were allowed a glimpse in. Many doors provided access to the university, but these doors were not all created equally. The largest and tallest doors are for male students whereas the most simple and smallest ones are for female students.
Chouara Tannery
Chouara Tannery in the heart of the medina is the oldest tannery in the world. It is UNESCO protected so all the steps in the tanning process must adhere to the traditional method. Because we were higher up looking down at the vats, the smell was not too pungent, and we didn’t even have to use the sprig of mint given to us as we entered the leather shop whose balcony provided the view down into the tannery.
We visited shops where the famous Moroccan products, textile, rugs, and metalwork were produced and sold. If we were shoppers, I can see how we would have had a hard time leaving without buying anything.