Morocco is a popular tourist destination and many people like to visit Casablanca and know about the capital of Rabat. There is though one city that they many people forget and that is Fes. Fes is a great and historical city and is the cultural heartbeat of the country.
Fes quickly became the country's religious and cultural centre after its founding by Idris I in 789 who son Idirs II continued his work. The Idris Dynasty was the first of many great dynasties who shaped the city of Fes along with the cultural heritage of the Muslim population of Muslim Spain and the Arab east. There is history at every turn in this magical city.
If you truly want to experience Moroccan culture then you have to visit the medina Fes el-Bali (old Fes) which happens to be the largest living Islamic medieval city in the world. There is nothing that I can write that will ever truly prepare you for the experience. My friend likened it to the Souk in Aladdin the Disney Movie. It is an overload of the senses with a riot of sound from local vendors and smells such as from the donkey and mules that are still the main mode of transport in these narrow streets. In the narrow alleys you will find bazaars selling Berber carpets, restaurants, workshops, mosques and tanneries with their huge dye pits. If it wasn't for the people on their phones or the TV's in the restaurants you would thought you could be in any century of the past 500 years.
The medina can be confusing as you will be hassled by vendors wanting to sell you a bargain but that is all part of the charm of the city and once you get used to the bedlam of the medina you will start to see past it and glimpse behind the veiled mystery that is Fes.
Neil has been writing articles for five years. He has a new website about African art prints and African art pictures which both offer a great ways to brighten up a home or office.
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