Fes is Morocco. It has it all. It is vibrant and rushed and bursting with color and sound. It is more old than new, unlike Casablanca which feels much like many other modern cities. Fes is one of the four royal cities of Morocco and is its spiritual and cultural capital. Fes is famous for its medina, or historic city. The medina has two quarters, Fes el-Bali and Fes Jdid.
The Mellah, the Jewish Quarter, is located in Fes Jdid. Fes had one of the largest and oldest Jewish populations in Morocco. The history of the Jewish community in Fes is long and complex. Today few Jews remain in the city. The Aben Danan Synagogue has been restored and is now a small museum. It was built in the 17th century and restored in 1998. There are no functioning synagogues in Fes. Gates of the Alaouite Royal Palace (Dar al-Makhzen). The palace is located in the Fes Jdid, which was established in1276 as an administrative center and royal citadel. The gate is traditional in design but was built in the 1960s when King Hassan II moved the main entrance of the palace. The gates are a popular stop on the tourist circuit. Gates of the Alaouite Royal Palace (Dar al-Makhzen), built in the 1960s.
Fes it know for its arts and crafts including pottery, metal working, leather goods, and carpets. We visited a pottery. The artisans and craftsmen are paid by the piece and times were hard for many of them during the pandemic when tourism was slow.
Forming clay tilesThe potter will make about 10 small items from this piece of clayPaint pigments are naturalWomen can now be paintersHand crafted tiles for table tops and other itemsMaking the tiles
Fes el-Bali, the original historic city of Fes and generally called the medina, is a maze of streets and passageways, some barely wide enough to walk down. The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is said to be the world’s oldest urban pedestrian zone, though donkeys are allowed. And a motorcycle or two.
About to enter the medina. Many of the narrow alleys and streets are dead ends. The narrowest passageway we encountered. The dyers market, one of many specialized markets. The fish marketThis owner was dying yarn. This shop is the official dyer for the royal family when it has a special order for blue. A coppersmith in the metal marketOne of the master copper artisans. The medina is home to many theological schools or madrassa, most of which are not open to non Muslims. The Al-Attarine Madrasa was built from 1323/1325. It is now open to the public. It is known for its tile work, carved stucco, calligraphic inscriptions, carved cedar wood and its use of columns.Looking down on the medina from the hotel.
Detail of a stone wall in the ruins of the mid-14th century Falkenstein Castle (Burg Falkenstein) in Königstein im Taunus, Hesse, Germany. The leaves on the vine are very small, rather than the rocks being very big.
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