Fabulous Fez medina~ for shopping

Fez is one of the 'Imperial Cities' in Morocco. Fez is basically the Westerner's way of saying it. Locally it is Fes (and in French it is Fes). Fez is more widely known as the red hat worn in North Africa and Turkey and other countries. Google recognizes 'Fez' and most people use Fez so, Fez it is. You can get to Fez easily from Marrakech or Casablanca by train. If you booked with a driver then you can drive there as part of your Moroccan tour. It is a must to include on your list of places to see. It is my all-time favourite of all the cities I visited in Morocco. I have arrived there by train, by bus, and by private driver. All were easy.

Fez rooftops

Fez is known for having the largest 'living' medina in the world. By this they mean it is still used and lived in just like it was in the old days. I have learned from my travels that tour guides will often say their city or country has 'the largest .....' or 'the oldest... of all ...' or 'the ONLY.... in the world'. Then the next country or city will claim the same boast. I find it entertaining and fun to hear it all.

In this case, Fez does have a VERY large medina and people still work there and live there. It runs today much like it did 100s of years ago. If you are not sure what is meant by a 'medina' it basically means town or more correctly in Morocco, the old city where industry flourished. In Morocco, the medina is almost synonymous with the market but this is not really correct - more of a slang term that tells tourists where the local crafts can be found. There is a long and varied history of the origin of the word itself and it has changed over time - but Fez still holds the title as the "biggest living medina."

Fez itself is a beautiful city - as part of being an "Imperial City." It is quite modern outside of the medina. The palace is gorgeous - fountains lining the long, tiled entry. Date Palm trees edging the same entry. There is a Jewish section that has beautiful architecture - wrought iron balconies, artistic arches and more.

As for the medina itself? It really is huge!! and around 1200 years old. It was once THE city within a wall. Now, you must find a gate through the old wall to enter the medina itself. The first time I

visited, my friend and I stayed just down an alley from the entrance - but outside the wall. However, since then I have found a wonderful B & B located within the walls that is the absolute BEST place to stay.

Lounge in Dar el Hana

It is called 'Dar el Hana' (Dar basically means house) and is on a quieter street/alley within the medina. It is an old building that Josephine (the owner) bought and refurbished in the old ways. She has done a wonderful job but I believe it is now run by her son and daughter-in-law. Check it out at www.darelhana.com to find out

more. She only has about 4 rooms (she may have more now) and she is often booked up. But if you can get a room in her 300-year-old Riad, you can count yourself lucky. The location is perfect and Josephine is wonderfully helpful. She can find a guide for you or book a restaurant – anything you need. I know there are a number of similar boutique hotels within the Fez medina, but I was very lucky to find Dar el Hana years ago. (and no - I do not get any money for sending you to Dar el Hana. It would just make your stay extra special if you can get a booking.)

The old medina is right outside her door. You step out into very narrow streets that are only big enough for donkeys and carts - no cars. While this might seem great and relaxing without cars - it can be downright scary when you see a donkey barreling towards you! As you meander along these narrow streets, you will hear 'Barrac, Barrac' yelled up the street (not sure about the spelling of that) - the reality is that it should be interpreted as 'quick - dive through a door while you can!' In other words, get out of the way fast because a donkey is coming loaded with goods - and he takes up most of the alley width.

Taking a guided tour through the medina is a good idea. My first time there a boy was my guide to go into the medina. It was confusing and he took us to various stalls and across courtyards and through alleys and then he disappeared. Soon another boy (of similar age) asked us if we wanted a guide. Truth was we needed a guide to get us OUT of the medina. I think it was the first guide's brother or cousin. We had to pay more to get out of the medina than we paid for the first tour that got us lost in the deep alleys of the place!

Fez (Fes) medina is divided into districts and each is known for a different craft. True craftsmanship can only be found in the medina for some trades. Many products are exported to other cities from here. Fez is known for its tannery, where leather is tanned and dyed to make beautiful leather.

Tannery in Fez

There a couple of tannery's but one of them is bigger and has more products. You can visit it and learn how skins have been tanned for centuries and how they continue to do it today - and you can also buy leather jackets while you are there. The smell from the tannery is horrible - if you have every been to a tannery before you will understand. They use super strong chemicals to tan the hides. The white baths in the pictures are the first step to tanning them. The cement tubs or baths are used to dye the leather. Each bath is a different colour - lots of browns and reds. Men will be knee deep or thigh deep in these baths, stomping the hides to keep them moving in the dye and taking up the colour. Other men are pulling out the hides, swirling them and dropping them back in. But the results are gorgeous. The leathers are buttery soft. I have never felt such soft leather anywhere else.

The tannery is surrounded by up to three floors of stores that sell leather products: purses, satchels, back packs, hats, gloves, belts and jackets of all sorts of designs. I got one custom made for me. My measurements were taken. I picked the style I wanted and the colour. The next day it was delivered to my hotel. I tried it on and if I did not like the fit, I could go back with the delivery man and the fundi (specialist) would adjust is accordingly. I still have that leather jacket and still love it.

One special product they make are yellow leather products. The yellow colour is from safron which is very expensive. Because of that they dye each hide individually. Men pour the dye onto the hide and work it into the hide by hand. These are then spread out on top of straw to dry. In the market you will see yellow shoes and purses and they will be more expensive because the colour is from safron.

Other sites in the Fez Medina

Each districts in the medina demonstrates their particular craft. There are copper workings, brass engravers, wood carvers, plasterers, bakers, potters and more. You can book a tour within the city, which can be very rewarding but do NOT go with someone harassing you on the street. There are MANY scammers in Fez, as in other places in Morocco, and you just have to be strong and not give in. Planning ahead is your best defense in these situations. If you ask for help on the street, within a minute you will have someone approach you as being the best guide. If you do find a boutique hotel in the medina, they will have connections for a tour guide. I have been to Fez four times and have taken full tours each time. There really is a lot to see.

If you can't afford a guide or want to be adventurous (make sure you know the name of your hotel so you can find your way back) then there are options. Fez now has walking tours marked with sign posts. You can find them in your guide

book - Lonely Planet or probably Footprint Travel Guides as well. Your hotel or hostel might have brochures for them. You can see the markers on the corners of streets/alleys with symbols that tell you which tour it is. There are religious tours (mosques and museums) or shopping tours etc. The mosques are often very old and the workmanship in the arches, engravings and tile work are exquisite.

Fez has old mosques that have the ancient plaster walls, made with a special mix that very few workers still know how to do. It is a dying art and hard to find in these modern days. People must search hard to find anyone that can fix their plaster correctly or rejuvenate old buildings. There is a pottery place on the outskirts of Fez where pottery and beautiful mosaics are put together by artisans with immense skill.

There are factories that will build wrought iron furniture that they combine with tiled mosaics. These can be custom made as well. The craftmanship is unfathomable. You can watch them work. They make the mosaics upside down - they can't see the picture as they form it. They visualize it in their heads, cut the coloured tile they want, stick it in upside down onto the frame they made previously. The artisans hand cut each piece of tile to fit the design in their head. Only when it is all done and 'glued' from the back, do they turn it over to see the finished design. Really? I was completely amazed by the end result. They truly are experts in their craft.

These are just the big places

you can go. Every district has little workshops where men are making intricate and unique designs on different materials. Men manipulate metals to form bowls and plates. Then they hand tool the design into them. Another store will have a corner where you can watch an artist carve wood and inlay a design.

Seamstresses can make any dress or suit you might want. The material they have is also exquisite - probably from some other section of town. Like I said - I love Fez. I haven't even bought much from my visits there. It doesn't matter. The town itself is so exotic and so vibrant, I can't get enough of it.

Visiting Fez usually means you visit the medina, but don't forget the newer city that has developed outside the medina. It is a beautiful city. The palace is impressive and worth a visit as well.

Volubilis: Roman ruins

And if you are driving, then you should visit the Roman ruins of 'Volubilis'. It is believed to be the most southern Roman ruins ever found. You can probably get a tour that will include a visit to Volubilis from your hotel in Fez as well. It is over an hour outside of Fez so some people with a full blown tour will do Volubulis on their way back to Casablanca or to Chefchaouen. It is a large ruin in very good condition and if you have any interest in ancient ruins, then Volubulis will be thrilling for you. There are intact mosaics - several. There are typical roman baths, washing areas for public access to water, an ancient olive press, aqueducts throughout the main areas and variety of house types (ruins of course but the structures are clear).

If I am blessed enough to return to Morocco, I will definitely visit Fez again. It’s an opportunity to see true workmanship as well as to discover how artisans achieve beautiful products without modern tools. Fez is where you can see true talent and craftsmen at work.