Place an-Najjarine, the carpenters’ corner, is a lovely square with a spectacular tiled fountain. Next to the square is the carpeter souk where the artisans create and sell their crafts.
Also found in the Place an-Nejjarine is the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts, a beautifully restored caravanserai for traveling merchants. It showcases artifacts of traditional wooden crafts and tools.
The rooftop of Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts offers a great view of the medina through the small openings on the wall.
Keith checking out the information on Place as-Seffarine, the brass makers square. This is where the artisans create and sell their metal crafts.
A pretty copper pot for sale at Place as-Seffarine.
Keith with the metalwork artisan and vendor.
Hanging out with the kids of the medina at Place as-Seffarine.
The wood carvers’ alley.
A young wood carver.
Trying my hands at a Berber house (aka carpet shop).
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We took a break for lunch at Restaurant Laanidra, an elegant 14th century palace. It offers sumptous Moroccan fare and a respite from the chaos of the medina. One of our concerns about traveling in Morocco during Ramadan was how to find food during the day as we expected food places to be closed during the fasting hours. Fortunately, that was not the case. Most restaurants were open during the day to served non-Muslim, even in small cities. We found that very open and tolerant. We also expected not to be served alcohol at any time. But we enjoyed a bottled of wine at every place we had dinner.
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The Holy Places of Fez
A glimpse of Al-Kairouine Mosque and University. Its mosques is considered the holiest in Fez and its university, founded in AD 859, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the world. It is not open to non-Muslim.
A glimpse from the gate of Zawila Moulay Idriss II, a highly revered shrine in Fes containing the tomb of Moulay Idriss, the founder and patron saint of Fes. It is not open to non-Muslim.
Ash-Sherabliyin Mosque, is only one of the many mosques in the medina but has the most eye catching and most dominant minaret.
The Alleys of Fez
Keith was all set for another day of exploration in the web of alleys of Old Fez.
A door in a corner of a narrow alley.
A woman walking in a quiet alley.
A man sitting on a doorway in a residential alley.
Keith having a nougat tasting on an alley with beautiful tiled walls.
A boy doing a full wheel on a shadowed alley.
A little lady hanging out by a doorway.
A boy standing next to an “election wall.” We never found out exactly what that was.
Adorable kids running store errands.
We were lost but we found the widest alley in the medina. That’s the beauty of Fez – the more you get lost the more you discover.
A really empty, quiet alley. Where’s everyone?
Donkeys in an exclusive neighborhood of Fez. The walls may look like they’re crumbling but inside them are huge, affluent riads.
There are about 200 fountains in the alleys of Fes, a water source for the residents of the medina. The waterlines that service these fountains are so old and undocumented that many of them are not working because no one knows how to fix them.
Outside the wall of the medina
The open market outside Bab Mahrouq, one of the gates to the medina.
The shoe vendors outside Bab Mahrouq.
A muslim cemetery of Fez. On the other side is the Jewish cemetery.
Palais Jamal is a grand hotel that was a 19th century palace of the vizier to the sultan. It is a good spot to watch the sunset and to unwind after a long day of exploration in the medina.
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Tip for navigating the Medina
From the NY Times article (see link on Travel Notes): The first secret to figuring out Fez, Mr. Alami said, was what might be called the rule of five. Geographically, “there are actually five concentric rings,” he said. “At the center are the religious places. After those are the working places, like the souks. Then come the residential areas. Then come the walls of the city. Beyond those are the gardens and the cemeteries.”
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Travel Notes:
Travel Date: October 2007
Suggested Links:
Accommodation: Dar Roumana
Related article: The Soul of Morocco, New York Times
Related blog: The Winding Streets of Fez by Alice in Wonderlust
I like this blog. Glad I observed this on google. Nice photos and information on Fez. I’m visiting next month and I look to see the scenes in your photos.
Hi Roderick, thanks Have a wonderful time in Fez.
Just found your website. Very interesting. I love the photos and captions. I saved to bookmarks.
Thanks Shana.
What an interesting photo essay about Fez. You made me feel I was there with you. I’m planning to visit Fez with my wife and your site informed me what to expect and what to do. The riad where you stayed is beautiful. It definitely looks like the kind of place we would like to stay. We’ll definitely look into it. Do you think two full days is enough time to explore Fez? Do you recommend to get a guide to make sure we cover everything in 2 days?
Hi Brad, glad the site was helpful to your trip planning. Two full days in Fez will give you enough time to cover the medina. If you’re adventurous, I say do it on your own. You’ll definitely get lost at some point but that’s part of the Fez experience. But if getting lost is not your thing, then having a guide is a good idea. One thing you should stress to your guide is that you don’t want to go shopping. Otherwise, they will bring you to every store so they can get commissions. Have a great time in Fez with your wife.
Love these photos!!! You are very talented! It takes me back to my visit to Marrakesh a few years ago, and I would love to return to Morrocco to see these scenes for myself. The souks are a sensory overload hey?!
Hi again Sarah,
Yes, it was a sensory overload indeed. Fez is still a lot more authentic and I think you will like Fez more than Marrakesh. Glad you enjoyed the photos.
I’m glad to have stumbled on this really wonderful post. Your photos took me there! And your captions are very informative. This is very helpful and makes more excited about my trip to Fez in September. I’m going to Marrakesh and the Sahara desert as well. Did you travel there, too? Would love to see your pics and notes if you did. Thanks again for the wonderful post.
Kara
Hi Kara, we’re glad you liked the post and found it helpful. Yes, we did visit the Sahara and Marrakesh. The Sahara will actually be our next post. So please visit back or you may subscribe to receive notification of our new posts. The camel trekking and overnight camping in the Sahara was one of our favorite experiences in Morocco. We’re sure you’ll enjoy it as well.
What a wonderful blog you have!
I am so excited to see your posts on Morocco as we are headed there in two weeks. I’m already overwhelmed by (but totally excited about) Fez based on your story and pictures. I’ll be spending some time exploring here in the next two weeks.
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Hi Cindy, we’re glad you enjoyed the blog and the Morocco posts. Have a wonderful time in Morocco. We’re sure you’ll have an incredible experience.
very nice photos! I was reminded of my trip to Morocco a few years ago and want to return to travel to this wonderful country …
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thank you so much for posting your photos and notes of your travels to Morocco!! I will be going there solo, for the first time in late Sept, this year. This is invaluable!