A 1200-year old city
With a history that dates back 1200 years ago, every street and alley in Fez is filled with a sense of antiquity. Up until 1925, Fez was the capital of Morocco. Numerous mosques and madrasahs can be found, but the most unique place to visit is the medina in Fez’s Old Town.
The nooks and crannies in this compact place are filled with shops and markets and people, donkeys and motorbikes equally share the crowded streets so it’s common to hear shouts of “balak” to get out of the way!
It’s pretty easy to get lost in this colourful labyrinth made up of 9500 streets, lane and alleyways. Some are so narrow that one has to make it through by walking sideways. I went there early in the morning and shop owners were just about to get started in their day after grabbing a breakfast of mint tea and flat bread. Inside the medina, copper and silver craft shops, leather tanneries, spice stores, and delicious sweet shops can be found.
From stinky tanneries to colourful rug shops and beautiful Moorish light fixtures, bargainers will love this place. It’s not hard to notice that many of the aged buildings in the medina are falling apart and horizontal wooden pillars are placed between buildings as an emergency solution to a historic problem. Not surprisingly many owners have sold their properties to foreigners to exchange for money to house themselves in the newer parts of the city. But the eclectic mix of old and new makes the medina even more interesting. Nestled in the medina is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II shrine which is dedicated to the founder of Fez and ruler of Morocco in the 8th century.
The nooks and crannies in this compact place are filled with shops and markets and people, donkeys and motorbikes equally share the crowded streets so it’s common to hear shouts of “balak” to get out of the way!
It’s pretty easy to get lost in this colourful labyrinth made up of 9500 streets, lane and alleyways. Some are so narrow that one has to make it through by walking sideways. I went there early in the morning and shop owners were just about to get started in their day after grabbing a breakfast of mint tea and flat bread. Inside the medina, copper and silver craft shops, leather tanneries, spice stores, and delicious sweet shops can be found.
From stinky tanneries to colourful rug shops and beautiful Moorish light fixtures, bargainers will love this place. It’s not hard to notice that many of the aged buildings in the medina are falling apart and horizontal wooden pillars are placed between buildings as an emergency solution to a historic problem. Not surprisingly many owners have sold their properties to foreigners to exchange for money to house themselves in the newer parts of the city. But the eclectic mix of old and new makes the medina even more interesting. Nestled in the medina is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II shrine which is dedicated to the founder of Fez and ruler of Morocco in the 8th century.
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