Our first stop was the stunning Royal Palace which was built in the 14th Century. The seven doors at the front were added in the 1960s. These are made of brass and were crafted by artisans in the medina (the old city). Fès reminded me a lot of Paris with its wide boulevards and one of these stretched away from the palace. As this is an actual residence of King Mohammed VI, tourists are unable to enter inside.
Just near the palace is the old Jewish quarter. The Jews came here during the Inquisition when they were ejected from Spain. After World War II many moved to Israel or to western countries. Those who remained moved to the Nouvelle Ville (the new city).
Next we headed up a hill to gain a panoramic view of the surrounding area which took in the Rif mountains, the Atlas mountains and the medina. The medina is a labyrinth of little streets, some of them only just wide enough to fit one person through. It stretches over 740 acres and has 9400 streets. Haziz lived in the medina for 30 years and there are still areas he hasn’t discovered. I asked Haziz if this was where the poor people lived and, on the contrary, he said there are some houses in the medina which could sell for $2 000 000 US. The streets have homes but also many workshops where artisans work.
The one thing I loved about today was that we learnt about each craft and were lead through workshops and boutiques but each of them assured us that there was absolutely no pressure to buy. This was a welcome relief after my carpet store experience in Casablanca. All of the places we visited are training cooperatives where tradesmen and women learn their craft.
Before entering the medina, we went to a ceramics workshop. This is not allowed inside the medina as there is a risk of fire. They first put the clay into a pit with water and allow it to sit for a couple of weeks. The next step is for workers to enter the pit and stomp on it. We then entered the different areas of the workshop to see the process involved in creating ceramics and mosaics. The potters’ wheels are turned with foot power and it was incredible how fast they worked. The guy doing eggcups was making one every two minutes. Next we saw the artists applying the colour.
In the mosaic section, men were sitting on the ground chiselling out shapes from ceramic tiles. These are then laid out by the artist in a pattern. The only hitch is, it is all done upside-down, so they have to remember which colours they have used. Some larger pieces take days to create, so the craftsmen need to have a good memory. The kiln is fired up once a week and reaches incredible temperatures. The fuel for the fire is olive pits.
Then we entered the medina. For foreigners, it is impossible to visit this place without a guide. I was lost within the first couple of turns (but then that’s no surprise). This is where we experienced the real sights, sounds and smells of Fès. Of note was the camel head decoration in front of one of the butcher shops and the donkeys laden with skins fresh from the tannery; now that is a smell that needs to be experienced to be believed!
Our first stop in the Medina was the tanneries. This was one of the places I was really looking forward to visiting. While we did see the men washing the skins, unfortunately the tanning pits were closed for restoration. We were able to feel the different sorts of leather, with goat being the softest. It won’t burn and is waterproof. In the shop was a whole array of products – slippers, jackets, wallets, bags and cushion covers.
Next, we visited a metal workshop. The silver teapots and platters were absolutely exquisite.
On our way to lunch, we visited the Medresa. This was a Koranic school and the building dates back to the 14th century. Around the walls black tiles have been carved with passages from the Koran. Some of the cedar panelling in the Medresa is original while some of it is a result of restoration work.
We had lunch in a beautiful restaurant in the medina. Our meal started with seven different salads; all of them were superb: eggplant, cauliflower, sweet potato, potato, lentils – they were all delicious. As I enjoyed them so much in Moulay Idriss, I once again had kefta, meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce.
Our final stop in the medina was the weavers where they make fabrics out of agave silk, wool, cotton and cashmere. Two of our group were dressed in a head scarf during our tour.
On return to the hotel another lady and I headed for a luxury spa. I started my treatment in the hammam. You strip down to your underwear (no bra) go into the steam room and lather up with a thick black olive soap. You really can't have any inhibitions; of course this is a women’s only section but it was a bit of a shock (but in a way liberating as well) to be wandering around with strangers just in your knickers. After a few minutes in the steam, the lady looking after me came and got me for my gommage treatment. These are often poor but robust women with no education, so she obviously spoke no English, but no French either. The gommage entailed me lying on a marble bed then my lady using a mitt with a texture similar to a kitchen scourer rubbing me down all over. This removes all the dead skin cells; I think she was shocked at how much I was shedding because she kept showing me chunks of skin. This treatment is really not for the faint heart. At times it was like my skin was on fire, but it was a strangely pleasant sensation. She then rinsed me off with a cold shower and the proceeded to wash my whole body with a liquid soap. After rinsing off, she lead me to a plunge pool filled with cold water. In the pool, I had a lovely chat with a young Moroccan woman who had helped me a bit with translation during the whole hour long treatment. Next I was lead away to the spa upstairs where I was put in a relaxing room for half an hour, then I was taken to a little room where I was lathered with Argan oil and treated to an amazing ½ hour massage. All of this for around $50. And this was in a luxury spa complex. End result – I feel like a new woman! This was certainly a welcome treat after all the walking I've been doing over the last few days.
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