{"id":858,"date":"2015-08-12T23:10:06","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T23:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.velabas.com\/writing\/?p=858"},"modified":"2017-06-19T17:51:27","modified_gmt":"2017-06-19T17:51:27","slug":"fes-morocco-photos-of-fes-medina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.velabas.com\/writing\/places\/fes-morocco-photos-of-fes-medina\/","title":{"rendered":"Fez, Morocco: Photos of the Fes Medina"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fez is Morocco’s medieval city, dating back ages and crowned with such epithets as “The Athens of Africa” and\u00a0“The Mecca of the West.” It is Morocco’s second largest city, home to 1.1 million people, although you wouldn’t know it by arriving at the Fes airport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We got to Fes, and found it to be a single-plane, tarmac-debarking affair. For a city as large and popular\u00a0as Fez, I was surprised. I blame the season. It was August, and it was excruciatingly\u00a0hot.<\/p>\n

We spent a week in Fes, staying at the Riad Doha<\/a> in the old Medina. I never really learned how to spell it, so I alternate between Fes and Fez. There’s also the red cap, which is a Fes. Or Fez.<\/p>\n

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The Fes Medina is for walking, and getting lost. I took the camera, and took these photos\u00a0to share.<\/p>\n

Photos of the Fes Medina<\/h2>\n
\"A

A view over the old Medina from the Necropole<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Pigeons

A curious thing about Fez, and perhaps all of Morocco. In the Fes Medina I found these captured pigeons. Elsewhere in the city, there wasn’t a pigeon in sight.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Riad

A look down at the mosaic floor of the Riad Doha. Riads are guesthouses in the Medina, and are well renovated.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"La

La Vache qui Rit is like the French Coca Cola, it’s everywhere they speak the language.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Some

Hanging with some people outside the Riad Doha.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Intricate

One day, we went for a meal at the Riad Rcif. Tangine. It was expensive, as you can eat a street meal for 20 Dirhams, but it was worth it to taste a traditional surprise.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Street

There weren’t so many street dogs, plenty of street cats though. Here, Fes cats tear at the fish scraps in the old Medina.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Walking

Walking through the old Fes Medina<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Moroccan

Speaking of 20 dirhams, this turkey sandwich with Moroccan red pepper cost that.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A

Bab Boujloud, one of the old gates into the Fez Medina<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Moroccan

One of the constants in the Fes Medina were these prickly pears, a refreshing treat for the incredibly stiff heat.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Old

The Old Medina in Fez was sometimes entirely held up by wooden braces.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Place

You had to go quick across the wide, empty plazas like this, the Place Boujloud. Snakes, orange juice, and insecure adolescents… that’s pretty descriptive.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A

This boy was the one who sold us Pistachio juice for 2 dirhams.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Jewish

The Jewish quarter in Fez<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Moroccan

Lanterns made by Fes artisans, and on sale everywhere throughout the Medina.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A

The door knockers in the old Medina of Fes were especially photogenic.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The

The golden doors of the Fes royal palace.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Moroccan

A beautiful hand door knocker at the Riad Doha<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fes

The Al-Qarawiyyin mosque<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fes

A look down a street of the old Medina.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fes

Walls of Fes<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fes

Inside a souk in the old market.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The

The tanneries. Fes is renowned for its artisans, who make clothes, carpets, leather ware, copper pans, etc.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fes

Beautiful building facades in Fes<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A

The principal form of transportation in Fes is by donkey<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Cemetery

On the hills around the old Fes Medina are a number of cemeteries, with views back over the city and her mosques’ minarets.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Arabic

Arabic doors at one of the Babs<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fes

A nighttime view over the Fes Medina,, with the Necropole on the hill, bright in the distance.<\/p><\/div>\n

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If these photos have given you some insight to Fez, maybe you’re inspired to visit. In that case, you can read about how to get around Fes, Morocco<\/a>. Otherwise, here are some other travel blog posts you might be interested in:<\/p>\n