Fez - A Walk Inwards The Medina

Fez has the reputation of beingness the closest matter y'all tin acquire inwards Kingdom of Morocco to a medieval town, alongside its labyrinthine medina. It tin intimidate at first, but during my 3 days inwards town I learned to navigate its narrow streets and become acquainted with its smells as well as colours. The gates of the old town, Fez El Bali, presently became familiar sights, specially Bab Boujeloud, unremarkably called past times foreigners the Blue Gate.

In the medina of Fez, I saw many traditional jobs that accept almost disappeared inwards other parts of the world, but that are notwithstanding really much business office of everyday life inwards Morocco. There is a foursquare dedicated to coppermaking, for instance, alongside a picturesque tree inwards the middle. While walking through the medina I glimpsed people carving Standard Arabic writings on marble tablets, working woods to brand beautiful decorations or sewing leather slippers.

 

Man at work

 

 

What struck me nigh Fez, though, is the pose out of religious buildings within the walls of the medina. You cannot walk every bit good far without encountering a mosque, a medersa (Koranic school) or a shrine. Unfortunately, inwards Kingdom of Morocco the entrance to religious buildings is generally forbidden for non-Muslims. What y'all tin create is glimpsing through the opened upward doors, having a aspect at the beautiful decorations, as well as observing the people taking off their shoes as well as entering the mosque to pray.

Taking a aspect inside

The shrine as well as tomb (zaouia) of Moulay Idriss II is ane of the most fascinating places in Fes el Bali, the medina. At the entrance of this shrine - dedicated to the 9th-century ruler as well as founder of the metropolis - at that spot are women selling candles to low-cal inwards the shrine as well as small-scale satchels alongside many kinds of nougat, a mutual pilgrimage gift.

Selling nougat

It's not Fez if y'all are non invited to visit one of the many rooftops, as well as of course of education you're expected to exit a tip if y'all enjoyed the experience. On a rooftop, amidst looms where the women brand carpets as well as the laundry of a random family, I noticed the light-green roofs of the srhine as well as the cardinal mosque, which is the spiritual centre of the city.



The light-green roof of the shrine

View from a roof

 

I also visited the medersa Bou Inania, which is hidden behind a door really roughly Bab Boujeloud. Since I had visited medersa Ben Youssef inwards Marrakesh I knew to a greater extent than or less what to expect, but I didn't know that the two Koranic schools are so similar. If y'all are visiting both Marrakesh as well as Fez, I advice y'all to catch medersa Ben Youssef, which is improve preserved as well as allows y'all to move upstairs inwards the quondam bedrooms of the students. Medersa Bou Inania is the subdued version, but the mosaics as well as the decorations are simply every bit beautiful.

From ane corner y'all accept a perfect persuasion of the minaret, as well as from the door y'all tin break how the life exterior goes on busily spell y'all are within the tranquillity walls of the medersa.



Medersa Bou Inania

Of course of education the medina is sum of smells as well as surprises: spices of all kinds, hens tied to their cage for sale inwards the nutrient market, or a human being pushing a cart sum of strawberries.
 

Spices inwards the souk

 

Hens for sale inwards the nutrient market

 

Jewels as well as small-scale tagines inwards the medina

 

Every at nowadays as well as and hence you'll come across ane of the many fountains. They are all covered in ceramic tiles and intricate marble carvings. Some of them volition accept a drinking glass tied to it alongside a cord or a chain, as well as kids volition survive washing off the dirt from their feet, while women volition survive cleaning vegetables.

A outflow alongside azulejos inwards Fez

Needless to say, I was invited to reckon the famous tanneries, a immature human being leading us along the narrow streets of Fez for what seemed to survive a really long fourth dimension for such a short distance. What a agency to effort to earn a tip! Once nosotros arrived at the rooftop from where y'all tin reckon the tanneries, nosotros were introduced to the ancient tradition of making leather goods past times hand, bags, slippers and jackets that are sold to the visitors. They were non pushy, but of course of education they appreciate if y'all purchase something or if y'all exit a donation to the cooperative. 

 

A persuasion of the tanneries

 

Everything around me looked interesting, as well as I accept many tales, because everything surprised me, from the Coca-Cola alongside the Standard Arabic spelling to immature people's obsession for Barcelona football game club. In Bab Rcif Square, I saw men cooking snails inwards a stall, as well as serving them inwards a broth, as well as I was  offered a taste.

Selling snails inwards Fez

The mellah, which ane time was the Jewish quarter, is some other business office of Fez that is worth having a aspect at. Here I institute a graffiti reproduction of one of the fountains I encountered within the walls of Fez El Bali. This is a less visited business office of the city, almost gritty, alongside kids playing football game as well as men sitting inwards crowded cafés drinking endless spectacles of tea.

A graffiti inwards Fez

A row of women chatting close Bab Rcif Square

I institute Fez to survive an interesting town: a flake less aggressive than Marrakesh, but also a flake to a greater extent than hard to appreciate. It's non every bit instantly exotic, as well as its beauty is to a greater extent than inwards the small-scale details or in the scenes of everyday life. It's touristic but non every bit much every bit Marrakesh, as well as it's overwhelming at times. It has tranquillity corners, as well as actually friendly people who are never to pushy. Overall, I mean value that Fez should survive included in every itinerary of a tour of Morocco, and it should survive approached alongside calm, without prejudice. I mean value that inwards a metropolis similar Fez it is important to effort to savour every bit of Moroccan culture, observing without intruding, alongside friendliness as well as never scared of bespeak questions.  

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