We left the hotel early to see the city before the sun reached its punishing zenith. And off we go… it’s only a few hours after sunrise, but the Talaa Kebira is already packed with people, animals and peculiar curiosities. The Talaa Kebira could be considered the Broadway of Fez, the 1,200 year-old walled Moroccan city that seems to be caught in a 17th century time warp (except for the occasional Nokia cellphone or Manchester United jersey). There’s a near mystical quality to this city such that you’d be hard pressed to tell what was made yesterday and what was made 500 years ago. This is why Fez, unlike Marrakesh (the rapidly modernizing city that is Fez’s rival), is considered to be the soul of Morocco.

 

As the sun marched higher in the sky, we wanted to experience the heart of Fez, the Medina, where your negotiation skills better be razor-sharp to get deals on items that will make your trip linger in your memory for years, if not decades, to come. We walked up the sandy and cracked streets, past the Bou Inania, a stunning 14th-century mosque, that like nearly everything else in Fez is a mysterious and difficult to decipher. It’s design is a marvel, and my camera took many pictures.

 

While Fez and Morocco are Muslim, the city and country are not permeated by the strong religiosity of Muslim cities closer to the Holy Land. Don’t get me wrong, there are hundreds of Mosques where shrouded men and veiled women worship Allah outside of the preying eyes of infidels, but it’s hardly Cairo or Riyadh. A labyrinthine city of impressive minarets, cloaked figures and lost passageways that lead to an ancient secrets, Fez surely doesn’t disappoint your imagination as the windowless high walls increase the “where are we?” feeling so many of the passageways possess.

 

Before we reach the Medina, our trek is interrupted by a parade of people on their way to Moulay Idriss II’s tomb, the founder of Fez; rumor has it that Moulay was the great-great grandson of the honorable prophet, Mohammed; “Praise Allah.” You can’t help wonder about the history of this city on the far reaches of the Islamic frontier, the birthplace of Othello, the home of Karaouine University, the ninth century school, which many say is the oldest continuously operating institute of secondary education. Fez embraces its past, as there are numerous restorations of exquisite architectural gems underway, which is a stark contrast to Marrekesh, which caters to the European party-scene and international star architects. If you come at the right time, Fez’s culinary and musical festivals which celebrate the rich history and tradition of the will engulf you. Notably Faouzi Skali’s Festival of World Sacred Music, held in June, when we were there, that beckons musicians from as far away as Japan and as close as Youssou N’Dour, the pop star from Dakar.

 

It’s no doubt that Fez will confuse and perplex you as it seduces you. To reach the Medina we hire a guide, someone who can effectively and effortlessly navigate the swirling, kaleidoscopic images that will fill your eyes until you’re delirious and maybe lost. A guide, as we soon find out, is mandatory, how else will you learn and appreciate the tossed-off bits and pieces of the true culture of Fez and the Medina that he’ll fill your ear with… the Medina is the home of a million people crowded into a little less than 10,000 windy, zigzagging, backtracking streets that would baffle Theseus.

 

The trick to understanding Fez is simple numerology (if you consider numerology simple, that is) and the number 5 – the city is composed of five concentric circles, at the center the holy places, followed by the working places, then comes housing, the walls, and finally the gardens and graveyards outside of the city proper. However, when your considering numerology there are multiple levels of the critical number, so the significance of five stretches beyond the civil engineering, to the five calls to prayer each day, the five pillars of Islam that every good Muslim follows, the five kinds of North African/Islamic design – wood, marble, mosaic, plaster and Arabic calligraphy, the five colors of the ubiquitous mosaic tiles (blue for the sky, white for purity, black for depth, gold for wealth, green for Islam) – see? Five, it permeates the daily life of Fez.

 

Upon reaching the Medina, your eyes will grow wide like saucers at the wild juxtaposition of smells, sounds and visions – the vibrant colors of fresh fruits, the arresting images of Berber women’s tattooed faces, the freshly slaughtered and even more freshly cooked food, the hand-knitted fine fabrics, the lilting voices of Sufi singers and the intricate, hand-made ironwork, woodwork and stonework crafted by expert artisans that are unmistakably Moroccan. When the Muslims in Paris had the Paris Mosque built, they brought the craftsman from Fez to the City of Lights to do their handiwork; they’re that good at what they do. Our guide shared with us a little secret, even he loses his way from time to time, but he readily admits, “that’s the beauty of the Medina, you’ll uncover a hidden gem on your way out that will make up for any lost time or sudden panic.”

 

Along the Fez River, we find the fabled tanneries where men eke out an existence washing, treating, smoothing and coloring the leather that is so divine, one might think an alchemist is at work, whispering a trade secret unknown to the rest of the world.

 

As the day winds down, we seek out food; Moroccan cuisine, which is an unbelievable treat to the palette, a mixture of Berber (the original people of North Africa, before the Arabs came with Islam), Roman and, of course, Arabic. After we fill our bellies and the sun goes down, we retreat to our hotel, prepare the next day and let our senses linger over what we witnessed today.

 

Now there is a “modern” part of the city, a section of Fez that the French built in the early 1900s… but why bother with that? If you come to Morocco, you want to see and experience what the Moroccans experience. Of course you could, just to see the contrast.

 

© 2009 Chris Derrick