Lonely Planet Morocco

by Lonely Planet

  Batha MuseumMUSEUM

  (Musée du Batha; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Rue de la Musée, Batha; Dh10; h9am-5pm Wed-Mon)

  Housed in a wonderful 19th-century summer palace and converted to a museum in 1915, the Batha Museum houses an excellent collection of traditional Moroccan arts and crafts. Historical and artistic artefacts include fine woodcarving, zellij and tadelakt (sculpted plaster), much of it from the city’s ruined or decaying medersas. It also has some fine Fassi embroidery, colourful Berber carpets and antique instruments. The highlight of the museum is the superb ceramic collection dating from the 14th century to the present.

  These are some fantastic examples of the famous blue pottery of Fez. The cobalt glaze responsible for the colour is developed from a special process discovered in the 10th century.

  The museum’s Andalucian-style garden offers temporary respite from the bustle and noise of the medina, and the spreading holm oak provides a backdrop for the open-air concerts held here during the Sacred Music and Sufi Culture festivals.

  Palais GlaouiPALACE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Douh Hamia, Batha; Dh30; h9am-5pm)

  This 18th-century palace is as fascinating for its state of disrepair as it is for its architectural magnificence. It was built by a pasha from Marrakesh and the family living here have been its guardians for 100 years. The main house is the height of Andalucian style and includes a well-preserved early-20th-century bathroom, still in use today. A hareem leads onto a large kitchen with gigantic cooking pots. The biggest surprise is the modern-art gallery in a salon at the back.

  2City Walk

  Mazing Medina

  Start Bab Bou Jeloud

  End R'cif Sq

  Length 3km; two to three hours

  This route takes you from Bab Bou Jeloud to the Kairaouine Mosque, then south to R'cif. It could take a couple of hours or all day, depending on the number of distractions.

  Unlike much of the rest of the city walls and gates, the main entry, 1Bab Bou Jeloud, is a recent addition, built in 1913. Pass through it and you come upon a hive of activity. The pavement cafes here are excellent places for people-watching.

  For the tour, take the first left and then right downhill along Talaa Kebira. This part of the street is a produce market – watch out for the camel butcher displaying the heads of his wares. Where the produce ends you’re at the 2Medersa Bou Inania, which represents the Merenid building style at its most perfect.

  Opposite the entrance to the medersa (above eye-level) is the famous 14th-century 3Magana hydraulic clock designed by a clockmaker and part-time magician. Carved beams held brass bowls with water flowing between them to mark the hours, but the secret of its mechanism died with its creator.

  Continuing downhill, notice the old fondouq (rooming house) on both sides of Talaa Kebira. These once hosted merchants and their caravans, and have rooms on several levels around a wide courtyard for both goods and pack animals. 4Fondouq Kaat Smen is particularly interesting, specialising in many varieties of honey and vats of smen, the rancid butter used in cooking.

  About 400m from the Medersa Bou Inania, as you go around an unmistakable dogleg, you’ll soon catch sight of the pretty, green-tiled minaret of the 5Chrabliyine Mosque (named for the slipper-makers who can still be found working in this area) straight ahead.

  Still heading downhill, past the shoe sellers and leatherworkers, look out for a right turn onto Rue Lfkahrine and a sign indicating the entrance to a tiny tree-filled square (on your left) known as the 6henna souq – if you start walking uphill, you’ve gone too far. Cosmetic shops sell oils and henna. Pottery and bric-a-brac stalls abound, too.

  Exiting the henna souq the same way you entered, turn left (south). After 50m a right turn brings you into 7Place an-Nejjarine. The lanes immediately north of the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts form part of the 8Souq an-Nejjarine (Carpenters’ Souq), where craftsmen create glittering wedding thrones.

  From Pl an-Nejjarine, head back out the way you came in, turning left almost immediately and ducking under the bar that prevents the passage of mules and donkeys. The lane leads uphill between stalls piled high with candles and incense, to the entrance of the newly restored 9Zawiya Moulay Idriss II. Non-Muslims cannot enter but can peer inside. To Fassis, this is the heart of their medina.

  Afterwards, it's simplest to backtrack to Talaa Kebira along Rue Lfkahrine. Follow the lane east – over a slight hummock and past haberdashers’ stalls – until it ends at a T-junction about 100m later, where you’ll find the aMedersa el-Attarine.

  On emerging from the medersa, turn left (south) until the shops come to a sudden end at the walls of the great bKairaouine Mosque & University, right by Dar al Mouaqqit. The university is one of the world’s oldest and this spot is where you'll find the main door. Again, non-Muslims cannot enter, but it's worth a peep in. Now backtrack and follow the university walls clockwise, passing cPâtisserie Kortouba. Look out for the recently restored, 14th-century fondouq walls along the way.

  Continue until the sound of metalworkers leads you into another small and attractive square, dPlace as-Seffarine (Brass-makers’ Sq). With the university walls (and the entrance to its library) at your back, there is the Medersa as-Seffarine on the square’s east side. Built in 1280, it is the oldest medersa in Fez, and the only one still in use.

  Pass the medersa and follow the lane, turning left at the mirror stalls. Ahead is the eDyers' Souq. Walk through the souq into the fR’cif market. Explore the market, or take any left into R’cif Sq where you can catch an onward petit taxi.

  Fès el-Jdid (New Fez)

  Only in a city as old as Fez could you find a district dubbed ‘New’ because it’s only 700 years old. The paranoid Merenid sultan Abu Yusuf Yacoub (1258–86) purpose-built the quarter, packing it with his Syrian mercenary guards and seeking to isolate himself from his subjects. Even today almost half of the area is given over to the grounds of the Royal Palace, still popular with Mohammed VI. Its other main legacy is the architectural evidence of its early Jewish inhabitants.

  oJnan Sbil (Bou Jeloud Gardens)GARDENS

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Moulay Hassan; h8am-7pm)

  These lush gardens are a breath of fresh air after the intensity of Fez' medina. Although over a century old, extensive renovation and replanting have reinvigorated the gardens' splendour, and locals come in droves to promenade the leafy trails, cool off around the grand central fountains and lounge beside the bird-filled lake – especially at dusk. The main entrance is on Ave Moulay Hassan, but there's another at the opposite end of the park.

  The gardens make a good halfway break between the mellah (Jewish quarter) and Bab Bou Jeloud.

  oRoyal PalacePALACE

  (Dar el-Makhzen; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Pl des Alaouites)

  The entrance to Fez' Palais Royale is a stunning example of modern restoration, but the 80 hectares of palace grounds are not open to the public. Visitors must be satisfied with viewing its imposing brass doors, surrounded by fine zellij and carved cedar wood. Note the lemon trees to one side – tour guides are prone to plucking the fruit to demonstrate the juice’s astringent cleaning properties on the palace gates. The entrance faces onto Pl des Alaouites.

  MellahJEWISH SITE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

  In the 14th century Fès el-Jdid became a refuge for Jews, thus the creation of a mellah. The records suggest the move was orchestrated to offer the Jews greater protection, and they repaid the favour of the sultan with their loyalty during conflict. Around 250,000 Jews once lived here but now only 70 to 80 remain in Fez – all in the ville nouvelle. Their old houses remain, with their open balconies looking onto the streets a marked contrast to Muslim styles.

  oRue des MérinidesNOTABLE BUILDING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

  The most architecturally impressive street in the mellah is Rue des Mérinides, lined with houses that are distinguished by their wooden and wrought-iron balconies, as well as by their stucco work. Jewish ladies would have once sat at th
ese upper balconies, watching the world go by and catching a cool breeze.

  oIbn Danan SynagogueSYNAGOGUE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; off Derb Taquriri; donations welcome; h9am-8pm)

  This pretty 17th-century synagogue was restored with the aid of Unesco in 1999. The doors are rarely flung wide, so you may need to find the guardian to invite you inside and point out the main features, including a mikva (ritual bath) in the basement. The original 17th-century torah scrolls, made of gazelle skin, are in a wooden cupboard on the far wall. The synagogue is well signposted.

  Jewish CemeteryCEMETERY

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; donations welcome; h7am-7pm, to 5pm Fri)

  The southwest corner of the mellah is home to the sea of blindingly white tombs that stretch down the hill; those in dedicated enclosures are tombs of rabbis. One of the oldest, high up against the north wall, is that of Rabbi Vidal Hasserfaty, who died in 1600. The cemetery is still in use and has guardians. A warning: some dodgy characters hang around this area of the mellah – if you are offered entry to the cemetery after hours, respectfully decline.

  On the slope below Vidal Hasserfaty's tomb, not far from the main entrance, the large tomb with green trimming is that of the martyr Solica. In 1834 this 14-year-old girl refused to convert to Islam or accept the advances of the governor of Tangier and subsequently had her throat slit. There's also a small synagogue on-site, but it's often locked so ask the guardians if you want to see inside.

  Entry to the cemetery is via the southeastern street that runs parallel to Rue des Mérinides.

  American FondoukANIMAL SANCTUARY

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.americanfondouk.org; Rte de Taza; donations welcome; h8am-noon Mon-Fri)F

  This nonprofit organisation's raison d'être is to help give the working equids of Fez medina a better life, and improve health and welfare education the often-poor families who depend on working donkeys, mules and horses for their livelihoods. The sanctuary encourages visitors and veterinary volunteers (many from the University of Glasgow) happily give insightful, ad-hoc tours.

  The American Fondouk has operated in Fez since 1927 but has gained new impetus under respected English director Dr Gigi Kay, who works tirelessly to ensure the veterinary care and conditions offered at the sanctuary are comparable to Western standards. There are 25 stables at the site and about 35 equids at any one time, many suffering from common complaints such as sores and hernias. What may surprise some visitors is that cases of outright cruelty are extremely rare; families depend on these pack animals and the equids are part of their lives. Sadly, it's often welfare education that's lacking.

  Some owners have walked for miles from surrounding villages to bring their sick steeds here, and many owners visit frequently, sometimes daily, to spend time with their poorly animals while they are receiving medical treatment. Hearing their stories from the veterinary staff can be both heartbreaking and moving. Injuries can sometimes be graphically on view and upsetting to see; the sanctuary is not recommended for younger children.

  Fez Ville Nouvelle

  2Activities, Courses & Tours

  1Arabic Language InstituteD3

  4Sleeping

  2Across HotelC2

  3Hotel Barceló Fès MedinaC2

  4Hôtel CentralC4

  5Hôtel MouniaC4

  6Hôtel OlympicC3

  7Hôtel SplendidB3

  8Youth HostelC3

  5Eating

  9Borj FesD1

  10Central MarketC3

  11Chicken MacB2

  12Restaurant MarrakechC4

  3Entertainment

  13Institut FrançaisC2

  8Information

  14Carlson WagonlitC3

  15Délégation Régionale de TourismeC3

  North Of The Medina

  Viewed from the surrounding hills, Fez’ jumbled buildings merge into a palette of white-flecked sandstone. Only here and there do the green-tiled roofs of the mosques and medersas provide a hint of colour.

  Borj NordMUSEUM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Sun)F

  Like its counterpart on the southern hills (Borj Sud), Borj Nord was built by Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour in the late 16th century to monitor the potentially disloyal populace of Fez. Sitting on a level with the Merenid Tombs, it offers one of Fez' best lookouts, but in 2016 it also opened as a national armoury museum. Highlights include elaborately decorated sabres and muscats, traditional leather powder drums, and fascinating old photos. Signage is in French and Arabic; no photography permitted.

  Merenid TombsRUINS

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

  These tombs are dramatic in their advanced state of ruin, although little remains of their fine original decoration. The views over Fez are spectacular and well worth the climb. It’s best at dusk as the lights come on and the muezzin's prayer calls echo around the valley, although you wouldn't want to hang about here after dark. A taxi from Bab Bou Jeloud should cost around Dh12; it’s a 10-minute walk back downhill to the medina but the path's not great.

  LIFE IN THE LEATHER DISTRICT

  Tanneries provide perhaps the greatest illustration of how resolutely some parts of Morocco have clung to practices developed in medieval times. Moroccan leather, and more particularly the Fassi leather in Fez, which is mostly produced using natural methods, has for centuries been highly prized as among the finest in the world and is often exported to Europe. One type of leather, a soft goatskin used mainly in bookbinding, is simply known as ‘morocco’.

  It’s claimed that tanning leather in Morocco goes back several millennia, and little has changed since medieval times. Donkeys still labour through the narrow streets carrying skins to dye pits, which are still constructed to traditional designs (with the addition of modern ceramic tiles). Tanners are organised according to ancient guild principles, with workers typically born into the job. Unfortunately, health and safety principles are similarly old-fashioned, and health problems among the workers, who are knee-deep in chemicals all day, are not uncommon.

  Rank odours abound at the tanneries, and the delicate tourists who come to view the work will often be offered a sprig of mint to hold to their noses to take the edge off the pong (rain also dampens the smell). Major components in processing the skins are pigeon poo, salt and lime (the latter accounts for the whitish colour of the processing pits); more delicate ingredients such as indigo, saffron and poppy are added later for colour.

  2Activities

  For a luxury experience, several guesthouses offer opulent hammam experiences. Riad Laaroussa ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0674 18 76 39; www.riad-laaroussa.com; 3 Derb Bechara; hammam Dh350; h11am-9pm), Riad Maison Bleue ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 74 18 73; www.maisonbleue.com; 33 Derb el Mitter, Ain-Azleten; hammam from Dh300; hnoon-8pm), Riad Fès, Palais Amani ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 63 32 09; www.palaisamani.com; 12 Derb el Miter, Oued Zhoune; hammam from Dh395; h8am-8pm) and Le Jardin des Biehn have excellent private spas, with hammam experiences starting from Dh350 and treatments Dh500.

  Hammam MernissiHAMMAM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Derb Serrajine; public hammam Dh50; hwomen 11am-9pm, men 6-9am & 9pm-midnight)

  This renovated old hammam offers female tourists a special traditional hammam package for Dh200, comprising savon beldi (olive oil soap) and exfoliation with a kis (coarse glove). A massage will cost Dh100 extra.

  Hammam RihabHAMMAM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 3 Chrabliyenne, Talaa Kebira; hwomen 8am-9pm, men 9pm-8am)

  A showstopping tiled doorway entices visitors into this ancient but refurbished hammam. Inside it's large, clean and used to tourists. Entrance is Dh20, but expect to pay around Dh100 for exfoliation and a massage.

  NausikaaSPA

  (%0535 61 00 06; www.nausikaaspa.com; Ave Bahnini, Rte Ain Smen; traditional hammam Dh100; h10am-10.30pm)

  In the ville nouvelle, Nausikaa offers one of the most complete packages in Fez, blending hammam traditions with a modern spa experience. A variety of sumptuous massages and treatments are on offer, al
ong with a gym and a pool.

  SURVIVING THE FEZ MEDINA

  If you're the type of person who likes a good lookout point, revels in bright sunshine and doesn't like confined airless spaces, spending too long in the bowels of the Fez medina might make the palms of your hands a little sweaty. Some tips for avoiding claustrophobia:

  AFez' medina is like a bowl that slopes down in the middle and rises around the edge: pick a riad that occupies a hilly spot. It'll be brighter and breezier inside as it's more likely to have external-facing windows. Dar Seffarine and Dar Roumana are good options.

  AEnsure your hotel has a comfortable roof terrace, because if you've spent all day touring the medina you'll want to see Morocco's bright-blue sky in all its majesty at the end of the day. Alternatively, base yourself in the ville nouvelle.

  ADine high: some medina restaurants can be a bit cavelike, with no natural light, but several offer roof terrace dining. Café Clock, Le 44, L'Amandier and Moi Anan are all good options.

  AHead to Jnan Sbil (Bou Jeloud Gardens), just outside the medina, at dusk. With its lake, fountains and leafy trails it's a breath of fresh air after the medina and makes a gorgeous spot for strolling. Other good escape points are Borj Nord and the Merenid Tombs, on the northern hills above the city.

  AFactor time into your stay to escape the city completely. Consider a trip to a laid-back hill village such as Bhalil, or spend a day eating, drinking and swimming in the countryside at Dar El Mandar (%06 76 14 13 35; www.darelmandarfes.com; Douar Lahricha, Beni Mellala, Commune Rurale Kandar Sidi Khiar; d incl breakfast €40, lunch & pool day use €35; p).