Fez, the original capital of Morocco prior to the French moving it to Rabat, is a bustling city, full of history and artisanal crafts. And no trip to Fez would be complete without wandering through the thousands of alleyways that make up the medina.
The Fez medina was built and expanded in the shape of a concave. So typically, if you are walking and the street slopes downward, you are walking into the medina. And if the slope is slanting upwards, you are walking out. However, there is always an exception! And in this case, if you are walking down towards the river, Oued Bou Khrareb, there are exits leading out of the medina along the riverside, which slope downwards.
During my first venture into the medina, I took a guided tour. I really wanted to focus on experiencing the life and character of the marketplaces, without worrying about how to navigate the 9,000+ alleyways that make the Fez medina famous. Tour groups are never hard to spot in the medina, and not more than 5 minutes into the tour, a local man caught sight of us and decided to join our group; he was an older gentleman and began buzzing around the front of the group. He insisted he was helping us by keeping the street ahead of us clean, picking up bits of debris as he went along; of course, with the idea in mind that we should tip him for his services. My medina guide told him in Arabic that we did not need assistance, but the older man persisted, continuing a few steps ahead, as if leading the group through the alleys. From the other direction, a father and his young son were walking towards us, backpack in hand, presumeably towards school. The father looked at our predicament with a look of exasperation. Moving towards another street nearby, I thought he was planning to take another route in order to avoid the self-appointed, street sweeping man. To my surprise, he escorted his son to a nearby doorway, then proceeded to insist the street sweeping man leave immediately. And just like that, the nuisance was gone.
At the onset of the tour, it was fairly quiet, and vendors were only starting to set up or open up their stalls. As the day went on, the medina became much more lively. Crowds of people started to fill the alleyways. There were beef sides hanging from hooks, colorful tins filled to the brim with equally colorful spices, handmade copper pots stacked in rows along a stone wall, a sea of fabrics neatly piled to the ceiling, bees buzzing around blocks of nuget. Several times someone would shout “Balek, balek!” as a donkey or cart navigated through the center of narrow alleyways. Some streets were so narrow, I found myself pressed into someone’s doorway, in order to give way to a cart.
My guide also told me that turning your back to a stall is considered bad luck. So, as you are navigating your way through the multitude of streets, avoid stopping directly in front of a stall and turning your back to it. With so many sights to see, it is easy to do, especially when attempting to clear a path for a cart.
While prepping for this trip, I read about the local people policing members of their community, but it was interesting to see firsthand. In addition to the street sweeper from earlier, I also saw several young children running amok in the marketplace. School must have let out for lunch and a group of elementary-aged boys were darting through the crowds of people, and shouting to each other. Then, a hand would reach out and move the boys to the side or hold them in place, telling them not to be disruptive. A stark contrast from home, where people just watch disruptive behavior and wonder, silently, where the child’s parents are.
Despite being a large city, the old medina has a close-knit community feel. I noticed this most strongly when I observed the residents and shopkeepers looking after children as they walked to school, as well as each other. At times, it was a little difficult to see, with various vendors and street merchants trying to sell trinkets and souvenirs. Like in Rabat, I employed a firm, but polite “No, thank you” when dealing with aggressive vendors and kept moving. During my two week trip, the super-aggressive vendors were not commonplace. Most of the Moroccans I met were very pleasant, and warmly welcomed me to their beautiful country.
