The Holy City of Fez is a jewel of Spanish-Arabic
civilisation. Fez does not reveal its secrets easily. Secretive, shadowy,
they need to be discovered little by little, with reverence. Only in this
way can the splendours of Madrasa architecture be fully appreciated. Only in this way will the
call of the medina temt you. Bustling with artisans and merchants, its
captivating sounds, fragrances and colours mesmerise the visitor with a
constant swirl of activity.
The city of Moulay Idriss lst, sanctuary of human and
moral sciences. The great À Karaouiyne University bas for eleven centuries
been a religions and intellectuel centre whose influence bas spread far
beyond the Kingdom's boundaries. In 789, a pick-axe of silver and gold -"fas"
in Arabic - was presented to Idriss lst to use in tracing the outlines of
the city. Hence the name of the city, which lies at the far eastern end of
the plain of Saïss, bordered to the south by the hills outlying the Atlas
Mountains. Cradle of religions, cultural and artistic traditions, Fes, the
double city, is the kingdom's spiritual capital. The Andalousian mosque,
dating from the 9th century, and further embellished by successive rulers,
is accessed through a mighty door of sculpted cedar. An imposing minaret
decorated with green faiences crowns the Rsif Mosque. The medersas around
the Karaouiyne Mosque, former lodging houses for students coming from
outside the city, attest the importance of its thousand years of history.
In the Medina, a labyrinth of sloping, winding
alleyways are crammed full of stalls and workshops. This is the famed
Kissaria -the commercial centre. A multitude of locally produced goods are
on sale in this incredible maze-cotton fabric, silk, brocadework,
slippers, and many more.
Al Attarine Souk
The craftsmen of the Al Attarine souk offer the visitor
a non-stop spectacle. For hundreds of years such work bas been regulated
by traditional guilds, ensuring that its quality is worthy of the city.
Each district has its own speciality : cobalt blue enamelled pottery,
carpets, wrought iron ... one looks on as the dyer stirs his yarns,
steeped in their multitude of colours, as the tanner tramples his skins
under an open sky -skins that the leather-worker will eventually adorn
with fine gilt for book-binding.
Bab Boujloud
Leaving the souks through the Boujloud gate with its
décoration of green and blue faiences, the riches contained in the
wonderful Museum of Moroccan Art await one. And the last marvel of all
-the Jamaî Palace, transformed in 1930 into a luxury hotel, an
incomparably elegant structure renowned for the quality of its cuisine.
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