Fez

Fez is the former capital and the spiritual center of Morocco.  There are many more traditional people, and the closer we got to the medina, or the old city center, the more we saw traditional dress, and the only western attire was worn by tourists.  This is in sharp contrast to Rabat and Casablanca.  We weren't allowed in the mosques here either, which is different than what we experienced in the other cities.

The medina is a labyrinth of miles and miles of allies.  There are shops on the main allies, and in the cross streets there are doors to homes.  The allies are narrow and dark, but the doors open to homes with central courtyards open to the sky, with gardens, fountains and beautiful tile work.

We walked many kilometers through the medina today and stopped for lunch at a restaurant there that had beautiful traditional decor and served delicious Moroccan food.  I had a chicken pastilla that is a chicken pie that almost tastes like apple pie, due to it's sweet, cinnamon flavor.  No beer or other alcohol was served in this very conservative establishment.

  The highlight of the show last night was these traditional players.  They played drums and wooden instruments, danced and twirled their drums around.

We visited one of the two main fortresses remaining at Fez.  We took this from one of them looking across at the other.  They were built in the 1200's.

This is the medina - or old town - mostly dating from the 800s to the 1300s.  We spent most of the day wandering around the alleys in here.

You can see one of the main city gates and a section of wall here.  Fez still lies mainly within the 13th century walls.

Streets in Fez are narrow and you have to share them with an endless army of donkeys!

We were told that this is the "oldest university in the world."  It was founded in the year 825 by one of the daughters of a wealthy merchant.  The University of Al-Karaouine is still functioning, however it only offers studies in Islamic law (it has never offered a full curriculum) and has about 300 students.

Here is the tanner's area in the medina.  They still tan hides here the way they did in the 1100s!  They have a series of pots containing pigeon dung and urine and move the hides by hand between them. The area stinks so much they give you a bunch of mint leaves when you enter to hold in front of your nose.

This is the mausoleum of Idris I, the founder of Fez.  He founded it in 789 as the capital and industrial and commercial center of his empire.  It remained in this role until the French took control in 1912.  As soon as the French were in power they moved the capital to Rabat and the commerce and industry to Casablanca, effectively stifling disent from the city.  Fez remains a cultural, artistic, and religious center.

We had a great lunch in the restored dining area of a 12th century house.

We left Fez through the grand gate.  It is decorated in the characteristic green of Fez.