*While we understand that travel is not possible during this global pandemic, it is still fun to read about the adventures of others. Until the world opens to us again, enjoy this travel feature and let your mind wander abroad. *
Fez is ancient and colourful, friendly and welcoming, mystical and magical. The second largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, it has a population of 1.4 million. Located to the northeast of the Atlas Mountains, Fez was founded during the eighth and ninth centuries, and consisted of two independent and competing settlements.
The migration of about 2,000 Arab families in the early ninth century gave the city its Arabic character. In the 11th century, a new ruler united the two settlements and rebuilt the city. Today, this area of the city is known as Fez el Bali.
FEZ EL BALI
Fez el Bali, one of the largest urban car-free areas in the world, is the oldest part of the city and where I find myself on a beautiful spring day. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is made up of more than 9,400 streets and alleys, and 90,000 residents.
I am with an Exodus Travels tour group. Our local tour guide grew up in the medina [walled city] and knows it well. Think about its size and the thousands of twists and turns in this sometimes cavernous place; you must have a guide unless you relish getting hopelessly lost. Even if you found someone who speaks English, directions would be nearly impossible to follow.
Our guide takes us along streets and alleys. The only traffic is an occasional donkey pulling a cart of merchandise for one of the thousands of merchants here. We pass men dying wool, their arms deep in buckets of colour. Coppersmiths are banging a hammer against a piece of copper shaping it into a large bowl. Men sit in cramped quarters sewing by hand. Merchants sell camel meat, olives and anything else you can imagine a household here might need.
The noise, the smells, and the congestion are overwhelming and disorienting.
“There are people who have never left the medina,” says our guide. “They live their entire lives within its walls.”
Fez el Bali architecture is characterized by construction techniques and decoration developed over a period of more than 10 centuries, including local design, as well as African, Asian and Southern Spanish. The medina is considered one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world.
CHOUARA TANNERY
Since the inception of the city, the tanning industry has been continually operating in the same fashion as it did in the early centuries. Today, the tanning industry is considered one of the main tourist attractions in Fez.
The largest tannery is Chouara Tannery and it’s located here in Fez el Bali. Situated along the river, it was built in the 11th century.
You know when you are near because of the stench. When I walk into a leather merchant’s store, I am handed a sprig of mint. Stores back up onto the tannery. It took a long time to weave through the rooms filled with coats, purses, shoes, wallets, and many other items made of leather to get to the viewing balcony.
On the platform, I look out over the tannery. There are dozens of round stone wells filled with dye or white liquids for softening the hides. Men work in the hot sun moving the hides from vat to vat.
We are told through an interpreter that the leather goods produced in the tanneries are exported around the world. Merchants are happy to explain the process that has changed little over the centuries for a tip or, better yet, a sale. You won’t find a better selection – or better prices – of leather anywhere else in Morocco. If you are looking for an inexpensive souvenir, buy from street merchants. Wallets go for as little as five for $14 CAD.
Back out on one of the narrow streets, we pass a mosque. There are only two mosques open to non-Muslims in Morocco – King Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and Tin Mal Mosque in Tin Mal. Its façade is richly decorated with tile and elaborately carved wood.
We stop for lunch at Le Patio Bleu. Inside what was once a richly appointed home, a variety of Moroccan and African food is prepared and served by attentive waiters.
The medina is also known for its weavers. We enter a shop and immediately hear the click, click of the weavers working at their craft creating beautiful woven material that will become tablecloths, scarves, dresses and other garments.
As gritty as the medina is, you will never experience anything like it again: the sheer number of streets, alleys, merchants, homes, and people. This place has survived for centuries. For the people who call it home, it works. For you, the visitor, it will remain with you as a fascinating memory as you recall this different way of life. It is truly a place like no other.
IF YOU GO:
We spent just over half a day in the medina, but I suggest more, if your schedule allows. Take a tour, enjoy your surroundings and, most of all, don’t get lost!
For more information about Exodus Travels, check the website at www.exodustravels.com or call (844) 227-9087.
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