Our Moroccan adventure began with a visit to the ancient city of FEZ - the birthplace of Moroccan civilazation. View from our hotel room at the Palais Jamai Fes, looking out over the Medina
Looking out over the Medina of Fez from our Palais Jamai Fes Hotel room balcony
Recently restored Arms Museum. Guns, armour, cannons from 16th century. Unfortunately all descriptive material only in arabic.
The wall of the centruies old walled city of FEZ
Main gate of King's Palace in Fez.
Intricate hand cut mosaic work on King's Palace facade. Every piece is individually cut and set.
Along a street in the Mellah - Jewish section of Fez near the palace
Potter at the wheel creating a large vessal at the ceramics factory. Note that the potter's wheel is driven by foot power.
Large kiln for firing the ceramic tiles and vases. Kiln is fired by burning crushed olive pits, which creates large clouds of black smoke.
Women hand painting designs onto ceramic pieces
Men drawing the intricate designs on the ceramic pieces
Mosaic tile cutters shaping the mosaic tile pieces by hand
Close up of cutting individual pieces of mosaic ceramic tile
Constructing a wall mosaic - on the floor
Instense smoke from the kiln's fire of crushed olive pits
Awaiting our first Moroccan dinner experience
`The wool market, just as it has been for centuries, in the Medina of Fez
Cleaning and thrashing the wool by hand with a stick
14th century hotel - $2. a day guests stay upstains and animals stay downstainrs. Unfortunately they had a fire recently.
Brides chairs s are rented for Moroccan weddings - very elaborate fabric and metal coverings
The main entrance to a 9 th century Mosque - completely renovated
Alley in the Medina of Fez
Inside an ancient Mausoleum, inside the Medina. Designs always include wood and plaster carvings, tile mosaics and marble
Coin slot in the Mosque wall, for menstrating women to make their prayers and wishes as they are not allowed inside during this time
Explanation of the Medersa Sahrij - the 14th century university - thought to be the oldest university in the world
The pool, or medersa, in the university “quad” of Medersa Sahrij
9th century mosque in Fez medina with remodeled face
The garbage is thrown directly into the river from the walking bridge in the Medina of Fez
All the streets of the medina in Fez are narrow. Goods are transported by donkey.
The dye pot field at the tannery. Lime pots are in the background
Dye pots at the tannery in Fez medina. Dyes are natural - poppies for red, indigo for blue, saffron for yellow and henna for orange
From the tannery rooftop, looking into the roofs of the Medina homes which are upper stories of the shops
Tannery in Fez medina. Hides are soaked in lime and pigeon poop to soften them for scrapping off the hair.
Hooka, or Narguila, shop in the Fez medina
Mules are used to deliver hides to the tannery in the Fez medina
The weavers, after years of experience, weave rugs by inspiration with no patterns. Ken has a double knot in this rug.
After the tannery tour, and viewing the weavers, we are taken into the rug co-op for mint tea and a viewing. Ken tried to buy his outfit
The rug wasn't the only thing “hooked”! We bought 2 silk runners for our bedroom
Moroccan restaraunts, usually in old homes, are in converted inner fountainyard spaces
A Moroccan meal begins with several cooked, usually cold, salads
Moroccan women make their dough at home, then bring it to the town baker for baking
9 th century fountain of the nearby mosque, Nejjarine.
Chilling out at the pool of the Palais Jamai Fes Hotel before leaving the next day to travel east.
Barbary Apes - near the entrance to the cedar forest. They show up in the AM when the tourists are there. They actually are Barbary Macaque monkeys, not apes.
800 year old cedar tree on fringe of cedar forest. Few cedar forests remain as people have cleared most of the forrested land for fire and homes
A more modern village on the sub Sahara
A Berber nomad family encampment in sub Sahara
