The cultural and historical city of Fez or Fes was the former capital of Morocco. It has three main districts: Fes El Bali (Old Fes), Fes El Jdid (New Fes, an extension of Old Fes) and the French-built Ville Nouvelle. It’s one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, also considered as one of the largest car-free urban area in the world, and it is the home of the oldest continually operating university in the world (University of Al Quaraouiyine). The city owns a great number of mosques and madrasas (educational institution) with complex architecture. To sum it all up, Fez lets you travel though history by just exploring around the narrow and maze-like busy streets. No wonder it is known to be the “Athens of Africa” and the “Mecca of the West”.
We stayed in Morocco for 13 days and we had the chance to explore six cities: Fes, Ifrane, Marrakesh, Essaouira, Agadir, and a glimpse of Casablanca. Of all the cities in, Fes is the first one I have uncovered and everything went good. The weather during December is perfect for my taste though I was complaining at first because I won’t be able to wear my summer dresses. I thought I could handle the cold so I just bought few winter tops and scarves. I ended up shopping for more in Morocco and buying a pair of knee-high boots so I can conquer the world cities of Morocco.
On the way to Fes, we stopped by a convenience store and I saw this European-brand biscuit named as “Filipinos” and I think it’s cute. (I felt weird at first)
Where to stay: When planning a trip, the first thing I do is to search for accommodations to stay in. For Morocco, I chose to stay in a riad (Moroccan traditional home) because I thought it’s a must to stay in a riad when traveling to Morocco and I was mesmerized by the beautiful interiors, too. There are numerous riads in the city, you just have to do your research to find the best ones. Just a friendly reminder, while doing the “Riad Search”, you may have a problem choosing a riad because almost all of them look picturesque, makes you want to stay in each of it. Riads are the perfect example of “Don’t judge the book by its cover.” They don’t seek attention from their outside appearance but when I entered the riad, I felt like a royalty and I was entering my palace. We stayed at Riad Arabesque. We arrived at night and it was so dark at the gateway, I was thinking twice if we were on the right place that we had to call someone from the riad to check, a staff picked us up. When we reached the hilltop location of the riad, I was in awe of the glimmering lights view of the city. Was our stay in this riad worth it? Guess what my answer is based on the following photos.
View from the riad. So pretty I wanna cry.
Moroccan “tagine” or “tajine”. A slow-cooked North African Berber dish, typically prepared with meat, fish, or poultry with vegetables and fruits. Various spices are also used, making it more mouth-watering. Perfect for the cold weather!
Riad Arabesque’s Restaurant where they serve breakfast. Eat like a royalty! I enjoyed scrutinizing the details of each traditional handicrafts while munching on flavourful Moroccan cuisines.
One more good thing about staying in a riad is… guess what? FOOD. A sumptuous breakfast is served at the time of your choice. Meals are individually prepared by the accommodating staff depending on your taste. For evening meals, you have to tell the staff in advance to prepare it for you. They also offer cooking classes.
As I was saying earlier, I thought I could handle the cold weather so I’ve worn this dress. We went shopping after. Who cares, just look at the interiors of the riad.
So my “photoshoot” begins…
Feeling like a Queen Khaleesi.
My photoshoot in the riad ended at the terrace with an amazing view of the medina. Lol. Thank you so much to my “photographer”. *Insert heart emoji*
Where to eat: Aside from Riad Arabesque’s restaurant, we tried Restaurant L’Amandier of Palais Faraj Suites & Spa. The restaurant has a fantastic overlooking view of the city lights of the medina. They also have a live Moroccan music played with instruments which I enjoyed listening to a lot. There are numerous restaurants around the medina offering traditional Moroccan dishes paired with the well-known Moroccan mint tea and don’t ever leave Morocco without trying their street foods. I tried boiled snails with spices in Fez!
The table set-up at Restaurant L’Amandier. C’est romantique.
Tajine de poulet (Chicken Tajine) served at the restaurant. My favorite tajine.
Entrance of Palais Faraj. Of course I needed to pose again.
Fes el Bali is the oldest walled part of the city. You’ll hear noises, but none of it are from car engines or horns, because this walled part of the city is too narrow for cars, so use your feet as a means of transportation.. or buy yourself a donkey. Wandering the winding alleyways jam-packed with shops, mosques, madrasas, restaurants and more, one can get lost easily, so we decided to have a tour guide to help us. And again, Fes is believed to be the world’s largest pedestrian-only zone, so we had to park our car at some point and started squeezing ourselves into the narrow alleyways to reach the following tourist attractions:
Chouara Tannery
Fez is also known for its leather products. Somewhere around the serpentine alleyways of the Old Medina is the 11th-century tannery. It is where cow, camel, goat and sheep hides are brought to be preserved and dyed to make leather goods. The process includes soaking the skin in a mixture of cow urine, pigeon poop, water, quicklime and salt. Since we had a tour guide, there was no need for us to use our nose just to find the place. There are leather shops around the area where you can buy bags, jackets, shoes, and wallets. Despite of the unpleasant smell of the tannery, It’s a must-see spot when in Fez.
Borj Nord (Northern Tower) & Borj Sud (Southern Tower)
These fortresses were built in the late 16th century by Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour to protect the city, not from invaders, but from rebellious inhabitants. The Borj Nord was turned into a museum, it displays a collection of weapons and military items. You can see a scenic panoramic view of the city from both fortresses.
A fantastic view of the city from Borj Nord
Borj Sud on its hilltop location
A view of the city from Borj Sud
The Merenid Tombs
Nearby the Borj Nord is the mysterious ruins of Merenid Tombs. It gives a breathtaking view of Fes El Bali for its visitors. Popular attractions and landmark in the city can be seen from its location.
You can see a panoramic view of Fez from the famous landmark.
1 out of 1256375 shots because it was so windy.
The other side has this view. A different sight from the same location.
When it’s windy but you have to be on the photo. The struggle is real.
Yes, I’m always a part of the view. There I said it. Lol
The Palais Royale (Dar el Makhzen)
Located at Fes El Jdid, the Royal Palace of Fez is not open to the public but its stunning facade is enough to impress tourists with its seven brass doors surrounded by stunning zellij and carved cedar woods.
The zellij surrounding the doors. The tiles were cut individually using a chisel to form a mosaic. #amazeballs
One of the seven doors. So prettyyyyy.
Of course, it’s a must to strike a pose. 😉
A photo taken just beside the Royal Palace.
The Jewish Cemetery
Nearby the Royal Palace is a mellah (Jewish Quarter) where the Jewish Cemetery is located. Fez’s Jewish Cemetery is the home of numerous Jewish saints like Lalla Suleika and some prominent rabbis.
The tomb of Rabbi Yehouda Benattar
Ibn Danan Synagogue
Located in the heart of the mellah is the 17th-century Ibn Danan Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogue in North Africa. It was nominated to the 1996 World Monuments Watch of the World Monuments Fund to be restored. The synanogue has a mikvah (ritual bath) in the basement.
The “Bimah” used for Torah reading during services.
The Torah Ark with the original 17th-century Torah scrolls.
The Pottery Factory
For more beautiful, detailed, handcrafted traditional Moroccan goods, visit the pottery factory. There are free guides that will take you through the whole production process. You can also purchase handcrafts, from hand-painted plates to hand-crafted fountains. You can even request for a mosaic and arrange for it to be shipped on your doorstep.
Unfinished product
One of the artisans chiseling geometric tiles to make a zellij. Give this man a round of applause!
Can you guess how long does it take to finish a zellij?
Beautiful handcrafts ready to be purchased.
To end this blog post, here’s a photo of me in the narrow alleyways with donkeys who work harder than me!
In the words of our tour guide, donkeys are the Moroccan taxis.
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