One of the main gateways into the Fes el Bali, the old Souq & Medina, the largest in the world. Little has changed for centuries. No wonder it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
With our guide, Hassan in one of the numerous winding alleyways.
Some 200,000 people live in this Medina.
There is obviously electricity & the inevitable proliferation of modern conveniences, such as satellite dishes. However, that said, the architecture has hardly changed since medieval times and it is easy to feel that you have been transported back in time to a very different, mysterious world.
Many of the street fountains are still in use.
A lot of the buildings in Northern Morocco have strong Hispanic-Moorish influences such as this palace, now turned into an arts & crafts museum.
As with many large dwellings this building is centred round a large, elegant courtyard.
The centuries old tanneries are a fantastic sight & smell of Fes. You get some herbs to sniff to try & hide the stench.
The only way to see the tanneries is to enter one of the surrounding leather shops and be escorted up to the balcony. After a short talk describing the work in the tanneries you are left to take photographs.
Then you realise there is no way out without buying something first. The poof in our lounge comes from here.
This is hard dirty work and is considered one of the lowliest traditional jobs in Morocco.
The fairy-tale skyline. Note the loud speakers for the call to prayers.
Looking across the roof tops, I was staggered by the number of satellite dishes.
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed Fes best out of the main Imperial Cities that we visited in Morocco.
