Thursday, January 8, 2015

Tour of Fes medina

On our full day in Fes, we had a hired tour guide take us throughout the medina. In case I haven't mentioned yet, the medina is the old part of a city, usually enclosed by a high wall. This is where souks and many historical sites are found.

The first stop on our guided tour was the Medersa al-Attarine, a school founded in 1325. The plaster is intricately carved and every detail of the school is gorgeous. It is currently a school only for girls. It is open to non-Muslims for tours for roughly $1/each (10 Moroccan dirham.)




We wound through the souk stalls and peered into a mosque where men were readying for prayer by washing. As I've said before, non-Muslims cannot enter, but we were permitted to stand outside and look in to observe the men preparing for prayer. We were also told we could take photos. Once we get to Casablanca we will be able to enter a large mosque there as they welcome tourists in. 


Next we visited the leather souks, and one shop in particular that is run by several artisans. We climbed tot he roof to get a view of the tannery. This was what I had been waiting months for! I have been so excited to see the tannery, and when I climbed those steps and peered over the railing....I was disappointed. I thought we'd get to see the largest tannery in Fes. Instead we saw a much smaller tannery. It was still really interesting to learn about the tanning process and the dyes that are used, I just had completely different expectations. It was still a really great experience. All the leather is dyed using natural substances (saffron for yellow, indigo for blue, mint for green, poppy flower for pink and red...) It smells really bad in the tannery, and that is because one of the steps in the process involves soaking the leather in pigeon excrement. It is highly acidic and works to soften the leather before being scraped and dyed. I purchased a huge duffel bag made from pink camel leather and a hand-woven kilim (Berber style rug) for a fraction of what I would pay in the states for it. I needed a duffel to get all my stuff home that I've picked up along the way. I thought I'd buy a cheap knock-off adidas bag, but now I have something beautiful with a story. 




At this point in our tour it was clear that our guide was bringing us on a shopping excursion, more or less. I was okay with this because we were still getting some great information about the processes and history of these products that Morocco is known for. Some of us felt a little pressure to buy, but it wasn't overwhelming and I felt comfortable saying no. We were next taken to watch fabric be hand-woven. The silk threads used in this shop are made from the silk of agave plants! I wish I had thought to purchase a spool. I will look for some in Casablanca. It's so shiny and vibrant. The gentlemen teaching us about the fabric and techniques taught a few of the ladies how to tie their scarves in traditional Moroccan ways (turbans.) 




A huge rug shop run from the interior of a very large former home was our next visit and these guys were trying very hard to sell us on their rugs! They were beautiful, but very expensive. I saw a rug in Meknes that I wish I would have purchased now. I would have paid only $70 for a hand embroidered decorative "baby kilim" that would set me back much more than that at the shop in Fes. The rugs in Fes were beautiful, but were nothing compared to the kilims I saw at the shop in Meknes. 


Our last two shops were a health and beauty type shop that sold fragrances and argan oil, and a clothing shop. We learned about how argan seeds are harvested and then processed by hand for the oil. A woman was actually sitting on the floor making oil as we learned about it. And, of course, a cat joined us for the discussion. 



In the clothing shop our professor and a couple of the students were dressed in some really beautiful clothes. I bartered for a Fez and completed my goal of buying a Fez hat in Fes (note: the proper term is "tarboosh!") 


To finish out the day, we had a family dinner at our riad, cooked and served to us by the family that owns the riad. It was my first really big meal since being sick, so I ate A LOT. I wish I had photos to post of it, but we ate it too fast for me to snap any. I really enjoyed my time in Fes. If I return to Morocco, I think I'll definitely spend more time there. 

No comments:

Post a Comment