Fes, the oldest city of Morocco

Chefchaouen was left behind as we started journeying further south.  Destination - Fes.  Again, beautiful scenery on the drive south, - green, rolling hills, orchards, farm lands - indeed diverse landscapes. 

The treat today was checking in to our Riad.  Our riad was located within the walls of the old Medina, which by the way is huge!  More on that later. Eyes were popping as we walked in not knowing what to expect.  Old homes with courtyards and fountains have now been converted to beautiful hotels, and this one was no exception. Five families merged to make one luxury 48 bed riad.  Each sleeping room, is different, each meeting area is different.  Sitting areas become eating areas.  It really is difficult to explain it and certainly the pictures don’t come anywhere close to doing it justice.

The group was treated to another lovely home cooked meal although slightly different this time as the lady owns a small restaurant.  Pastilla, stuffed pastry dough was on the menu for this meal and not surprisingly it was amazing!

With only one full day in Fes it was a challenge to cover so much  When introduced to our guide in the morning, she told us she would not be successful when we returned if we returned not tired.  We were dead tired!  Laila was knowledgeable, funny and shared a lot of personal stories bringing new understandings to all of us.  Of course it was information overload and I can’t begin to remember most of it.  One of the main attractions is the main entrance to the King’s palace.  The seven doors are remarkable examples of handicraft with all the carvings and tiles having special meaning. She explained to us how the symbols on the brass doors represented the intersection of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

One of the fascinating things I have heard on each trip to Morocco has been the way different religions and cultures are intertwined and accepted.  This was reinforced again with Laila especially during our walk down the streets of the Mellah.  The old balconies are a distinction to Muslim architecture as they would never have window overlooking the street.  And look up high to see storks that have returned from Europe for the summer.

The scope of the Medina is visible from the look out and even on a grey day it is amazing.

Since handicrafts are a large part of this cities identity, one must visit cooperatives.  The first visit was to the pottery cooperative.  The steady hands of these workers is amazing but I think the most amazing part of the process is how the make the tables and fountains - all the pieces are laid upside down!

The tiles are face down - how they produce perfect pieces is amazing

Leather is another big industry.  The highlight is is the tanneries.  This has to be the world’s ugliest job -stomping around in vats to produce beautiful pieces of leather.

The last cooperative - the weavers.  These are weavers of scarves, table cloths, blankets, etc. special feature here is the silk woven from the agave plant - vegan silk.

Agave plant produces silk threads

And then there is the Medina itself - the oldest and largest in the world with somewhere between 9000 and 10000 windy, twisting and narrow alleys.  Staying together is critical here. We entered through one very dark narrow alley that was definitely single file only.

From there it was a stroll through the food section and a chance to see some interesting items including a camel head. We wondered through different souks or markets where similar wares are made and sold - copper, wood working, sewing, metal work, candies, leather, threads, shoes, spices and it goes on and on. 

 

We also visited the oldest university from the outside.  It is now both a mosque and university to study the Koran or Quran.  Entrance to the university is extremely hard with many requirements to be met - one is the ability to memorize and recite all 60 chapters of the Koran.  While attending this school, students live in dormitories scattered throughout the Medina.  Once again the artistry of the tiles and carvings is outstanding.

The window is from a dorm room.  Needless to say the rooms are not big!

The Funduk Nejjarine is a restored 18th century in  that would have been popular for those on the trade route.  It is now a wood museum.

As we’ve been touring, we have proudly worn our Canadian Maple Leaf.  We could be giving them away by the hundreds.  One guide we met in the streets of Chefchaouen made an interesting statement, telling us there are many tourists out there trying to hide in our identity!