Fez

Fez or Fes is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the northwest of the Atlas Mountains, it is surrounded by hills and the old city is centered around the Fez River (Oued Fes) flowing from west to east. Fez has been called the “Mecca of the West” and the “Athens of Africa”. It is also considered the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco.

The city consists of two old medina quarters, Fes el-Bali and Fes Jdid, and the much larger modern urban Ville Nouvelle area founded during the French colonial era. The Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones . It contains the University of al-Qarawiyyin which was founded in 857 and is the oldest continuously functioning institute of higher education in the world. It also contains the Chouara Tannery from the 11th century, one of the oldest tanneries in the world.

The largest of the medina’s several tanneries, Chouara is one of the city’s most iconic sights (and smells). Operating since at least the 16th century, the area was heavily renovated in 2016 with the help of UNESCO.Hoever the scene, from the surrounding balconies, remains remarkably medieval. It’s striking to see the hard physical labour that goes into the butter-soft, elegant leather goods that are sold in the surrounding workshops.

The first thing you’ll see when you visit the tannery is that some stone vessels are white while others are a wide range of incredible terracotta tones. The white vessels are the first to receive the hides after they’ve been dried in salt on the rooftops of the tannery to remove any traces of water. These white vessels are full of pigeon faeces, ash and cow urine. The hides spend several days soaking in this mixture to remove any impurities and be deep cleaned. This process makes it clear where the smell come from and why you are  given a sprig of mint as you enter to disguise the stench.

Once they are clean, the hides are moved to large rouind tanks where natural dies are mixed with oils and fig paste to produce the final colour. After it is dyed, the leather is hung around the tannery to dry in the sun before being sent directly to the workshops of artisans who use it to create almost any Moroccan-style object you can imagine.

The Kingdom of Morocco is renown for its pottery, covered with complex geometric, arabesque and beautiful, rich patterns. Moroccan art has been influenced by a diversity of cultures due to being occupied by Romans,Vandals, Visigoths, Byzantine Greeks ( 278AD to 429AD ) and the conquering Arabs who introduced their Islamic civilization in the late 7th century.

We saw some pottery being made at a site that has been operating for 900 years.  The buildings and equipment are much newer but the skill and expertise go back to when it was founded.

All the products were hand painted with fine details, deep colors, and a variety of hand spun designs. Each ceramic piece is filled with meaningful designs, styles and colors. Some of the pieces are trimmed with tooled silver overlay which gives a sort of richness to the design and adds to its uniqueness. In pottery making, the potter first works the clay on a spinning wheel.

The process can take from ten minutes for an item like a bowl, to more than three hours for something as large as an urn. The molded clay is then set outside to dry. Large serving dishes and jugs are separated according to their kind. Once dry, the pottery is taken to the kiln. Once the ceramic wares have been fired, the decorative stage begins and designs are made accordingg to the backgrpond of the artisan.

Some of the more traditional Berber tribes have patterns that they have been using for over 200 years. Then the pottery is fired again, where the paint used for decorating the pots, jugs, bowls, mugs, and tagines settles.  

We made a quick stop at the Royal Palace gates. The King maintains three palaces in Fez that are guarded by military personnel. The gates are very decorative (in an Islamic way) and are wonderful works of art in themselves.

For the remainder of the day, we took a long slow walk dowhill through the Medina. Fez has the largest medina out of all the cities in Morocco. This maze of a place is a lot of fun to wander through and get lost in. It also doesn’t allow motor cycles in the Medina which makes it a much more comfortable place e to visit.

You know you have found an entrance to the medina when you see the large decorative blue archway. They are officially called, “The Blue Gates of Fez.” Every entrance and exit has one, making them easy to spot.

Walking though the Fez medina is like walking through a large complicated maze. It is full of twisty turning little narrow roads that seem to go on forever in different directions. There are absolutly no street signs. The locals know their way aroundas they grew up here and we had to ask for directions a few times. Nany have never left Fez, so they know this area like the back of their hand.

This maze of a place is lined on both sides with endless shops. Shop after shop after shop, all selling something a bit different than the next. Some shops sell junk that you quickly move on from, while others sell high quality goods. There is an area of the medina that sells mostly produce. Another area sells meats and eggs. Another might focus on bread or Moroccan pastries. Other parts will sell things besides food like hand carved wooden decorations, handwoven rugs, leather products, and hand painted ceramics.

This butcherr marked his place wth a camel head.

Its easier to photgraph the Medina in Fez than in Marrakech. i tried a few techniques of capturing interesting people. She were successful and others were dismayed failures. However it was an experience to remember!