Bill in Morocco - FEZ (FES)

UNESCO established the medieval medina of Fes el-Bali (Old Fes) as a World Heritage Site in 1981, so it is a must-see. The question is: do you hire a tour guide or not? That all depends on your preferences and your tolerance level of nearly constant harassment from numerous touts.

As an outsider, you will be navigating amongst the nearly 10,000 streets and paths, none of which seem to have any official signs or identifiable names. A map will assist you minimally here. Note that the main streets slope downward into the medina; if you are walking uphill, the streets are heading toward the outer walls of the medina.

If you enjoyed my writings about FEZ, read my other sections on RABAT and MARRAKESH.

Quick Tips:

Due to time constraints, I was only able to stay one day in Fes, and it was plagued by quite a bit of rain and wind. My friend tells me that Fes is quite vibrant in the sun (I think he just wanted to rub this point in!), so I will just have to take his word for it. Try to stay for at least two days if possible to have a slightly more relaxed journey through Fes. The city may no longer be the great Imperial Capital of yesteryear, but Fes is still a great Islamic city that leaves a distinctively Moroccan flavor for the visitor.

The fez hat, the world-famous red cylindrical headgear with black tassel, is properly known as a Fassi tarbouche. Its wearers were known as backers of the Ottoman Empire during the 18th and 19th Centuries. Nowadays fez wearers are quite uncommon in Fes, and it is a hard-to-find souvenir in town.

Best Way To Get Around:

In the ancient sections of Fes el-Bali and the smaller and more recent area of Fes el-Jdid ("Fes the New") to the southwest, you will be walking around alot through these walled cities. The latter area includes the flashy Dar al-Makhzen, the former royal palace of Hassan II, and its accompanying formal grounds. In the modern Ville Nouvelle, you have the option of casually strolling about the grand cosmopolitan streets (what a contrast from the medina!) or taking an inexpensive petit taxi to zoom about town.

While walking around the old medina, take a peek into some of the interiors. The simple exteriors usually disguise grand palatial interiors, many of which have been converted to fancy restaurants or hotels.

I would like to thank my colleague and frequent travel companion, Chicago architect Marius Ronnett, for some of the wonderful images of Fes during our brief time there in 2002.

This top-notch hotel of the Sheraton chain is located somewhat inconveniently in the Ville Nouvelle of Fes, a mile south of the train station and several miles from the main attractions in "old" Fes. We were able to book this hotel at a heavily discounted special rate; otherwise staying here would be a pleasant splurge.

The layout of the hotel room blocks attempts to emulate the local homes of Morocco, which have an emphasis to look inward towards an interior courtyard rather than having a fancy external public facade. Indeed, the design of the hotel entrance area seems to have been a complete afterthought. The hotel assumes all guests are arriving by motor vehicle, so it is fronted by a free parking lot. The hotel is located on a prominent intersection, but while there is a large sign here with the hotel logo, there is no entrance there! One has to walk along the fence and enter and exit through a guarded entrance ramp a few yards west of this intersection. After passing through the nondescript front arcade, you enter the spacious and colorful lobby, with a few exotic design elements. There is plenty of space here for the tour groups who stay here. The gentleman checking us in asked us if we needed an official tour guide for the next day, but we declined.

The hotel was built in 1971 and handsomely remodeled in 2001. The 5 floors of 271 rooms are organized to surround the cheery interior courtyard. This leads to long walks down interior corridors if your room is on the far side of the square. The fragrant courtyard contains the outdoor pool, and plenty of trees and lush plants. The standard room with two double beds was spacious and very comfortable, and we were pleasantly surprised by a complimentary fruit basket and mineral water. Most rooms have balconies facing either the courtyard garden or the city. Our room was on the first floor, so our porch door opened directly into the courtyard. Other fine amenities include a large TV with many stations, roomy bathroom, plush bathrobes, empty mini-refrigerator, but no in-room safe. The interiors show little Moroccan flavor, but you can get plenty of that in the old medina.

The hotel has five restaurants featuring various cuisines, and also business and meeting facilities if you are not really on vacation. There is a gift shop that sells stamps for your postcards, but you may be paying a bit more than the correct postal rates.

What an oasis this restaurant is! It is located just past the Bab Boujeloud entrance within Fes el-Bali (Old Fes). My friend had dined here before, noting that there is a balcony level with fine views overlooking the rooftops and the maddening crowds.

At ground level, the first impression may be that of a hawker, whose job is to differentiate himself from the zillions of hawkers in the medina so that he can lure you in. There is a kitchen selling food to go, the same kitchen that would be cooking our items, though we would be sitting two levels up in the balcony seating. This is not a large space, but there is room for a few tables under awnings. It was raining heavily, so we were thankful that there were no leaks in the awnings! Our table overlooked the inside of the Bab Boujeloud and the street below. What an opera that Fes is from this vantage point! There’s the stream of tourists checking into the budget hotel across the way. There's the donkey carts plunging through the mass of humanity. There's the woman hanging her wash on her rooftop even during the torrential downpour. There's the shopkeeper broomsticking the underside of his storefront awning, sending cascades of water onto his blackboard specials sign.

Oh I almost forgot, there's food to be had at La Kasbah. We both ordered a full menu meal, as it was late afternoon and this meal would be the equivalent of lunch and dinner for us. We ordered harira soup, a delicious thick soup that is popular in Morocco. No wonder, it is thick with lentils, vegetables, and minestrone-like broth. A basket of chewy bread, similar to thick pita disks, is accompanied by flavorful ratatouille spread. I ordered a considerable dish of couscous with tender chicken, boiled vegetables, raisins and caramelized onions. The dish was simultaneously sweet and hearty, tasty and filling. I also had a large Orangina drink (I love the French influence upon Morocco!), a dish of unpeeled fruit, something called gazelle horn cake, and a delicious hot tea with spearmint leaves and lots of sugar. The mint tea looks like someone just stuck a green plant in a glass of water, but it is a most memorable treat to this palate.

It is still daylight, so no locals were dining here during Ramadan. Since we were well above the crowds, we could dine without upsetting the local sensibilities. The waiter did not seem to mind serving us, though he had to climb up and down lots of stairs to serve us. At various points during our meal, a fellow turned on a small TV set (watching a big soccer match?) and another guy laid out his prayer rug towards Mecca and prayed for a few minutes. There is another interior dining room one level below the balcony; no one was there this afternoon except for a couple of young backpacker types smoking and hanging out.

This cozy corner juice bar, located near the central market of the Ville Nouvelle, serves made-to-order juice drinks that are very similar to smoothies. One fellow at Le Rennaissance actually spoke a smattering of English.

The walls are stacked with crates of fresh fruits, and you can mix or match them in your drink. I chose orange and pineapple, two of my favorite fruits and a natural tandem in a drink. It was smooth, sweet, tangy, refreshing. My friend loves avocado, and he was convinced that his avocado smoothie was the better choice. Avocado is perhaps the most unusual ingredient you can get in a smoothie here. Otherwise you can get more typical tropical fruits like banana or mango. Yes, each smoothie is enriched with spoonfuls of sugar (my friend estimates four or five tablespoons per shot, which is about 12 ounces). I would not say that you could make a meal out of one of these concoctions, but it is a tasty treat.

It was now early evening, but we were the only ones enjoying the fresh smoothies on their outdoor patio. I imagine that there would be a better crowd later that evening after prayer session. The smoothies are not too expensive, but if you need some dirham there is an ATM across the street. The plastic chairs and tables were all lined up facing the street, and we watched locals in those pointy-hooded robes scurrying towards the local mosque, perhaps anxiously looking forward to their upcoming meals or smoothies.

The old medina as an entire entity is the highlight of your visit to Fes, but in some ways it can be your lowlight as well. It is a vast area, colorful and cramped to an extreme, but exotic every second you are in it.

There are many ways to enter the medina. The most prominent entrance is at the Bab Boujeloud at the western end of the medina. Of course, this is where there is an inordinate number of guide wannabees, so you will be heavily targeted for sales and services here. Perhaps a better choice would be taking a taxi to one of the other gates, as you will likely get less attention from the locals if you enter here. You may see maps from guidebooks and try to follow them literally to find landmarks and places, but keep in mind that these maps are really not that accurate or detailed. The streets and paths within the medina are not really marked at all by signs or names, so you truly are on your own if you are not with a guide. The major paths are quite narrow and congested, and any rain turns the dirt roads into mud roads. You will contend with folk selling almost anything imaginable (sweets, spices, clothing, trinkets, preserved dates congealed into large fruity masses), and lots of locals trying to lead you to meet other locals. The lesser paths are usually quieter and lead to residences, but you will run into bemused locals and some youngsters who may be guides-in-training and try their jive on you. It is a whole different world within the walls of the medina! Just try to enjoy it as best as you can. Take in all the exotic sights, odors, people, donkeys, etc.

(Continued in Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1)

There are some significant landmarks within the old medina that you may want to see. The most notable school is the Medersa Bou Inania, a theological college begun about 1350. Unfortunately, it seems to be perpetually under reconstruction. The Nejjarine Museum of Art is fronted by an attractively tiled fountain and houses various examples of Moroccan woodworks and crafts. The Zaouia Moulay Idriss II, the tomb of the Islamic saint who is recognized as the founder of Fes, cannot be entered by non-Muslims but is a significant pilgrimage site. Other attractions include the many tanneries, souks and fondouks (former inns now used as factories) that help make Fes the great attraction and distraction that it is.

It is strongly suggested by some that you hire an official government-endorsed tour guide to take you through the medina. Not only will you get a knowledgeable guide for the labyrinthine town, but the guide will deter other would-be touts from hanging on to you. You can arrange for such a guide at your local hotel or tourism office. You can also pick up an "unofficial" guide within the medina (do not worry about finding one, they will find you!). They will offer you a cheaper rate, but this is chancy because you may get a half-hearted tour geared towards his interests (shops run by his relatives and associates) rather than yours. Technically, unofficial guides are also illegal. Of course, you can try to venture in sans guide; this can really be an adventure. I went with my friend, who has visited Fes before. Despite all attempts to blend in and do our own thing, touts of various ages, sizes, and styles constantly harassed us. A couple of teenage boys basically rattled, insulted and bullied us for what seemed to be an hour. Frankly, if I were alone or with other people who have not been here, I would definitely recommend hiring an official guide. While I did enjoy many of the sensory explosions of the Medina, I think I would have had a better time without the endless harassment. Supposedly the local merchants do not approve of the more surly touts, but such is the complicated fabric of life here.

The Kairaouine Mosque was the largest complete mosque in Morocco for ages until the recently built Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. It was founded in the year 857 and then bulked up during the 10th and 12th Centuries so that it currently has sixteen aisles, six fountains, and has a capacity of 20,000 worshippers. The mosque is also highly regarded as one of the oldest universities in the world. It establishes the timings of Ramadan and other significant Islamic festivals.

From the outside maze of the old medina, it is practically impossible for the outsider to gain an overall appreciation of the fine appearance of the Kairaouine Mosque. There are four main entrances to its central courtyard. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the interiors of the mosque, although it is possible for the determined traveler to get a peek or two through the openings for a glance at the courtyard. The layout is influenced by the design of the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain. The central open courtyard features a large fountain at its central point. The interiors feature fine craftsmanship that has produced domes, arches, wood screens, brass lamps, and richly delineated calligraphy and patterns.

The excellent library holds one of the oldest manuscripts of the Koran in North Africa. Not far from the Kairaouine Mosque is the Medersa el-Attarine, a Merenid school with fine mosaics and details.

Moroccan architecture has two elements that seem to be endlessly fascinating and appealing: the zellij tilework and the boldly designed gates. This section will mention some of the more prominent gates in Fes.

There are four major entrances to Fes el-Bali (Old Fes). The Bab Boujeloud, the western gate, is perhaps the most colorful and identifiable gate in all of Fes. It was constructed in 1913, making it a relative youngster on the block. Its tiled facades are painted in swirled patterns. Its outer facade features blue, which is the traditional color of Fes. Its inner medina facade features green, the traditional color of Mohammed and Islam. This is perhaps the main entry point into Fes el-Bali, with plenty of vendors, tour guides, dining establishments, donkeys, and general hubbub. Just west of Bab Boujeloud are Place Baghdadi, a pick-up point for local buses and taxis, and the Boujeloud Gardens, a pleasant buffer zone between Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid. Around the corner is the Dar Batha Palace and Museum. Around the other corner is the Bab el-Mahrouk, which leads to a road towards the Merenid tombs to the north.

The Bab er-Rsif is a central gate, close to the Mosque er-Rsif and not far from the famous Kairaouine Mosque. If you are taking a taxi to the Fes el-Bali, this is not a bad place to arrive, as such an arrival will plunge you straight into the heart of the old medina.

Bab Guissa is the northern gate facing across to the Merenid tombs, which offer an elevated vantage point to look down upon the city below. Bab Ftouh is the southeastern gate at the foot of the Andalous Quarter. As you can well imagine, you can always pick up a petit taxi at one of these important gates.