Essence of Morocco

Fez inspires metaphors. Visually it is a medieval labyrinth, an arabesque maze. A magnificent lavender gateway opening to a tangle of streets and alleys.

Culturally it is the pinnacle of Morocco, the true center of the nation. A capital of Islamic learning and religion and one that Moroccans hold in almost mystical esteem. “Yes,” they would tell me, “Fez is muhimm,” the Arabic word that means both important and compelling.

In Morocco I was told that I could not learn Fez. That the city, specifically the medina or old city, was so complicated a web of narrow streets and claustrophobic passages that I would need a guide to get anywhere.

Fellow travelers had woven extravagant tales of aggressive hustlers and persistent guides. I was intimidated and avoided the medina for days following my arrival as a tourist in 1993. Sitting in the pleasant outdoor cafes of the French-built Ville Nouvelle, one of the city’s three sectors, I read Anais Nin’s 1973 paean to Fez for inspiration: “Only those born in this ancient city can find their way,” she wrote.

I observed the old city from above, by taking a cab to the Merenid ruins perched on a hillside north of the medina. These tombs and foundations were left by the Merenid dynasty, Muslim sultans who ruled North Africa from the 13th to the 15th centuries. There the newly rebuilt five-star Hotel Les Merenides offered a magnificent sunset. Lingering over a sweet glass of mint tea, I watched the craggy rooftops of the city take on the warm glow of golden lights and smoky gas lanterns. The evening call to prayer echoed across the city, dancing from one minaret to the next.

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With the embarrassment of someone lingering too long on the high dive, I shook myself and plunged. For the next few days I wandered aimlessly through the medina. In 1994, I came back to study Arabic but that was not enough. I returned again the next year for six months as a Fulbright scholar. Yet I am still intrigued.

In a way, the warnings about the difficulty of the medina were correct. But what I quickly realized was that the sense of dislocation that it prompts is precisely what is most fascinating about Fez. To see Fez is not to locate the monuments and sites the guidebooks describe--although they are worth finding--but to experience an urban design at complete odds with our American sense of city.

UNESCO declared all of Fez a world heritage site, and as intangible as it might at first seem, the only way to experience Fez’s richness is to attempt to gather something of the medina’s layout. There are not many resources to support such activity because guidebooks sketch only the principle thoroughfares, barely gesturing to the existence of side streets. But there is American novelist and writer Paul Bowles’ advice: “To lose oneself in the crowd, to be pulled along by it--not knowing where to or for how long.”

Fez was established in the early 9th century by Moulay Idriss II, a great-great-grandson of the prophet Mohammed. After the premature death of his father, who had fled Baghdad in the 780s, Idriss II became Sultan and Leader of the Faithful of the new Moroccan empire. The Moroccan monarchy still maintains this dual post, and the current king, Hassan II, claims a direct lineage to Idriss. Moulay Idriss II’s tomb and shrine, in the heart of the medina, is one of Fez’s holiest sites, and though non-Muslims are forbid entrance, the activity inside can be glimpsed from the street.

For his capital, Idriss II chose an opportune gap in what is now north central Morocco, between the Middle Atlas and Rif mountain chains. This was at the intersection of trade routes between the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Sahara, and irrigated by a narrow river, the Oued Fes.

Fez grew quickly on both sides of the river, as religious refugees from Qairouan, in Tunisia, and Andalusia in Spain moved in and built up the medina. The city grew outward from the river--low sturdy structures without space between them--and one has the sense today that this is exactly how Fez must have looked a millennium ago.

In 857, a woman from Qairouan funded the establishment of a mosque, called the Qaraouyine, in which Islamic law, religion and philosophy were taught. Now considered the world’s oldest university, the Qaraouyine drew students from Europe, Africa and the Muslim world, and Fez developed an international reputation as an intellectual and cultural capital. Satellite institutes called medersas were built in which students both studied and lived. (They can be visited in the medina and the Bou Inania and El Attarin medersas are landmark examples of medieval Fassi architecture and decoration.) Pope Sylvester II studied in Fez in the 10th century and brought Arabic numerals home to Western Europe. In the 12th century, the Jewish philosopher Maimonides trained here, and in the 14th century, Ibn Khaldun, the great Islamic philosopher and historian, was but a student in Fez.

The home of several Moroccan dynasties, Fez was at various times the capital of a North African empire stretching as far east as Tunisia, as far north as Spanish Andalusia and southward to Mauritania. With political power came great wealth and the arts--including architecture and ornamentation--flourished. Tile mosaics, elaborate plasterwork and carved wood decorated fabulous entrances to mosques, such as Tijani Mosque up the street from the Qaraouyine.

The Fassi, as the residents of Fez are known, were the elite of Morocco, and the anonymous doorways and blank stone walls of the street hid sumptuous residences.

At the center of all such residences were open-air courtyards surrounded by plush salons. Amid the claustrophobia of the narrow streets outside, the courtyards were tranquil retreats, usually set to the gentle music of trickling fountains.

Fatima Mernissi, the Moroccan writer and feminist critic (“Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood”), who grew up in a Fez harem in the 1940s and ‘50s, describes the sense of huge space these symmetrical courtyards offered: “You had the sky--hanging up above but still strictly square-shaped, like all the rest, and solidly framed in a wooden frieze of fading gold and ochre geometric design. Looking at the sky from the courtyard was an overwhelming experience. At first, it looked tame because of the man-made square frame. But then the movement of the early morning stars, fading slowly into the deep blue and white, became so intense that it could make you dizzy.”

In the late 13th century, a Merenid sultan, Abou Youssef, moved his palace and the army garrisons outside the medina to a higher elevation, where the surrounding countryside and the medina itself could be better surveyed. The new sector, called Fes el-Jdid (Fez the New), was a planned city with relatively straight streets more conducive to controlling residents than those in the medina.

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Fes el-Jdid attracted the city’s many Jews, who congregated in an area known as the Mellah, where they built scores of distinctive homes and synagogues. Most Moroccan Jews immigrated to Israel after Moroccan independence in 1956 and the synagogues have since been converted to other uses (such as boxing gymnasiums), but the Mellah quarter and Jewish cemetery are fascinating places to visit. The new Jewish Museum opened last year in the quarter.

Two other museums are worth a visit, primarily for their settings. The Borj Nord Weapons Museum, near the Hotel Les Merenides, is set in a 17th century fortress overlooking the medina. The Dar Batha Museum, in the Place du Batha near the Bab Bou Jeloud (principal entrance to the medina), is arranged inside a 19th century palace with courtyards and gardens. Its collections include traditional Fassi arts and crafts, including carved wood, Middle Atlas carpets, calligraphy, embroidery and jewelry. Its pottery collection is of particular note, featuring the traditional Fez blue ceramics, with pieces ranging from the 16th century to the 1930s.

When the French colonized Morocco in 1912, they encountered particularly vigilant resistance in Fez. Aware of Fez’s central place in Moroccan culture, the French were wise enough not to tear down the old medina--as they had elsewhere in North Africa--and constructed their administrative buildings outside the old city.

The administrative quarter, known as the Ville Nouvelle, developed rapidly to the west and today it is the largest of Fez’s three sectors. (The other two are Fes el-Bali [the medina or old city] and Fes el-Jdid.) The Ville Nouvelle has a startlingly different feel to it, with broad tree-lined boulevards and sidewalk cafes. Here you can find one-hour photo developing, pizza parlors and international newsstands and even a Benetton. It is a good place to stay, with a range of hotels for every budget ($4 to $200), many restaurants and a location that is a quick cab ride (or 40-minute walk) to the medina.

The Fez medina was left to its devices, one of the reasons the city has guarded an old-world feeling. Massive urbanization has strained the medina’s resources in recent years--greater Fez’s current population is estimated at 1 million--and many of the old palaces have been dismantled by families moved in from the desert. But some jewels remain, converted into restaurants and carpet shops, and welcome visitors.

A restaurant called simply Palais de Fes, near the Qaraouyine mosque, is particularly notable, both for its culinary excellence--the best Moroccan cooking I have found outside private homes--and its fine architecture and decoration.

In the ‘50s, Paul Bowles was a frequent resident at the Hotel Palais Jamai and sets much of his novel, “The Spider’s House,” within its gates. Formerly a 19th century vizier’s palace, the Palais Jamai is one of Morocco’s great hotels and the city’s most famous. Those who can’t afford to stay here (double rooms can run $180) should make a point of having tea or cocktails on the outdoor terrace with its magnificent view of the old city’s rooftops.

Bowles’ hotel choice in the 1930s, the Grand Hotel in the Ville Nouvelle, is a good alternative for those with more limited funds who want a taste of the French colonial days.

Fez is a city of merchants, and like so much else here, advertising in Fez has a whole new meaning. It wasn’t until my return to America that I realized I had seen no billboards or posters in the Fez medina. Fez salesmen who cater to tourists--rug dealers and leather merchants, for example--lure you in more subtly. Agents wait at the gates to the city, offer to guide you around a bit, then bring you to the establishment they work for. Hiring an official guide at the tourist office in the Ville Nouvelle is a good way to ward off those who locals refer to as, faux-guides.

But if, like me, you prefer to walk Fez alone, you should simply remember that the guides are businessmen. You can tell them, in English, that you are walking to your hotel, that you know where you are going, that maybe later you will visit the shops. Be pleasant and don’t hesitate to make vague promises, and the infamous faux-guides will leave you for a more promising customer. Those travelers who have experienced more aggressive tactics are invariably those who brushed the guides aside, who did not take the moment to speak with them, who acted as if they were in an American city.

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During the last couple of years, what was once a nagging problem has dissipated. The Moroccan government, concerned about the low rate with which tourists returned to Morocco, clamped down severely on the hustlers. Arrests were common, and those freelance salesmen who were seen attaching themselves to tourists were thrown in jail for months. This can sound like a horrible abuse of civil rights, but it has been effective. It is now possible to walk into the medina without undue attention.

The usual advice for travelers to Arab countries holds true in Fez. For both sexes, visible respect for Muslim culture goes a long way in how you are treated. Men, leave your shorts and tank tops at home; women, loose pants or ankle-length skirts and long sleeves will serve you well. Foreign women should feel as free to travel on their own as men--though pairs will be more comfortable than singles. What unwanted attention non-Muslim women may receive from Moroccan men will be compensated for by sympathetic support from Moroccan women.

Then you will be left to lose yourself in the medina, sticking to the main streets, gradually expanding your radius. Even if you find yourself utterly perplexed, there is always a willing child who will lead you back to the gate where you entered. Always the river downhill, the gates uphill and taxis waiting to shuttle you back to your hotel to unwind and prepare for another foray into the labyrinth.

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GUIDEBOOK

Couscous Etc. in Fez

Getting there: There are no nonstop or direct flights to Fez. United, American, British Air and Lufthansa fly nonstop from Los Angeles to London or Frankfurt. Royal Air Maroc flies from London and Frankfurt to Fez, with one change of planes in Casablanca. Lowest advance-purchase, round-trip fares begin at $1,040. (At press time Wednesday American’s pilots’ union was threatening to strike against the airline, which could affect flight schedules and routes).

Where to stay: Grand Hotel, Boulevard Abdallah Chefchaouni; from the United States telephone 011-212-5-93-2026 fax 011-212-5-65-3847. Rates: about $25 for a double.

Hotel Les Merenides, Borj Nord; tel. 011-212-5-64-5226 or fax 011-212-5-64-5225. Rates: about $150 for a double.

Hotel Palais Jamai, Bab Guissa; tel. 011-212-5-63-4331 or fax 011-212-5-63-5096. Rates: about $180 for a double.

Hotel Zalagh, Rue Mohammed Diouri; tel. 011-212-5-62-5531 or fax 011-212-5-65-1995. Rates: about $25 for a double.

Where to eat: Hotel Palais de Fes, 16 Rue Boutouil-Qaraouyine (lunch and tea only). Located in a converted palace, this is my favorite restaurant in Fez. It serves fabulous bestila--Fez’s specialty, a sweet pigeon pie also made with chicken or seafood--and great couscous. About $20 per person.

About $20 per person.

Restaurant Les Remparts, 2 Arset Jiar, Bab Guissa, next to the Hotel Palais Jamai, in the medina. Highly recommended. About $20 per person.

Restaurant Chamonix, 5 Rue Moukhtar Soussi, next to the Grand Hotel in the Ville Nouvelle. Entrees are about $5.

Chez Vittorio, 21 Rue Nador, near Hotel Central, in the Ville Nouvelle. An intriguing restaurant popular with Fez’s yuppie class. Entrees (pastas and pizza) are $5 to $12.

For more information: Moroccan National Tourist Office, 20 E. 46th St., Suite 1201, New York, NY 10017; tel. (212) 557-2520.