Fez—Where Past Meets Present
By “Awake!” correspondent in Morocco
THROUGHOUT Morocco contrasts can be seen in the way of life of its peoples. But this contrast is particularly noticeable in the city of Fez, an ancient center of Islamic culture. Situated in North Africa nearly one hundred miles from the Atlantic Ocean and some eighty-five miles south of the Mediterranean, Fez has for centuries been the crossroads for numerous civilizations. It now has a population of over 200,000.
Arriving at Fez by road, we enter first what is called the ‘new city.’ This was built mainly by the French during the time that Morocco was a protectorate of France between 1912 and 1956. It resembles a European city with its sidewalk cafés, shops and people dressed in the latest styles from Paris. The Arabs who live here also are very much Westernized. It would be easy to forget that just a mile or more away exists the ancient Fez, which is a striking contrast to what we see here.
The Ancient City
The old city of Fez was founded shortly after 800 C.E. by Moulay Idris I, who was a descendant of Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed. Fez continued as the capital of an independent kingdom for many centuries, and long has been considered by many to be the center of the intellectual and religious life of North Africa.
This ancient site lies across a valley from the ‘new city,’ and its appearance is quite attractive. One sees a mass of white and gray flat-roofed houses, with every now and then the minaret that tops the numerous mosques. These protrude like pins from a pincushion.
As a backdrop to all this there is a large mountain, the foothills of which are covered with olive trees. These trees are reputedly as old as the city. From where we are it is evident that the old city is built on a series of hills. This means that we must be prepared to climb, for the only way to visit the old city is on foot. Roads are often no more than enlarged footpaths, and there are far too many people and animals to allow for vehicles to pass.
Journey into the Past
Here in the old city a guide is a great help. Not only will he ensure that we see the most interesting places, but he will prevent us from getting lost. Fez boasts the largest medina in the world; this is the name given the old part of the city. (Medina is the city in Arabia that was important in the life of Mohammed, the founder of the Islamic religion.) On catching sight of the maze of dark alleyways and streets we are glad we have someone with us who knows his way around.
We are impressed by the absence of cars or motorized vehicles of any sort and the narrowness of the streets. Although Fez enjoys practically constant sunshine, the streets are so narrow that the upper floors of the houses cut out most of the light.
We notice that the majority of the people here keep to their traditional way of dress—quite a contrast to the way it is in the ‘new city.’ The men wear ‘dejellabahs,’ a long garment down to their feet, often with a hood attached. Some of the men also wear the traditional fez, a tall, red, brimless cap that was first made here in Fez, Morocco, but is well known practically world wide.
The women too wear long garments. Also, their faces are veiled, with only their eyes showing, in accordance with their Moslem religion. Almost everyone wears ‘babouches’ on his feet. These are leather slippers with no backs to them.
Fez is reported to have over a hundred mosques, including certain ones that are over a thousand years old. Our guide takes us to the Karouian (Karueein) mosque, the largest one in Africa. It can accommodate 22,000 worshipers at one time. As non-Moslems we are not permitted to enter, but we can get a view of the inside through one of the large doors.
The floor of this famous mosque is covered with bamboo matting for the worshipers to kneel upon when they pray to Allah facing the direction of the city of Mecca. There are beautiful mosaics on the walls, and from the delicately carved ceiling iron lanterns hang. All shoes and slippers are left outside on the steps of the mosque. It is amazing that the worshipers can identify their own on coming out.
Shopping Area
Next we come to one of the several ‘suqs’ or shopping areas. Here are really colorful small shops and stalls. Some of them are no more than a niche in the wall. It seems that all the stalls that sell a certain commodity are grouped together, thus the smells go with the sights. And what a sight it is to see stall after stall banked high with dates, figs, olives, raisins and varied spices!
Turning the corner, we see an endless array of fabrics and clothes of every color. In yet another row of shops we see silks, and in still another, jewelry of every sort. In one row of stalls there are candles of every length and color imaginable. These are used on the anniversaries of the deaths of famous personages in the history of Fez. On such occasions religious persons light candles for what they believe to be the souls of departed ones.
Here and there a heated discussion in Arabic ensues as someone bargains with a merchant in an effort to get his prices down. We also hear a bell ringing from time to time. It belongs to the waterman, who is colorfully dressed in red, with numerous highly polished copper cups hanging from his chest. He serves fresh water for a few francs (worth less than a penny) from a goatskin slung over his shoulder.
Due to the narrow streets there is much pushing, and we must watch our step. We must be careful, too, of the heavily loaded donkeys with sacks of grain and flour. Often the narrow street becomes blocked as two of these meet. It is the man that always rides the donkey, while his wife, often with huge bundles on her head, walks behind.
The Moslem women here are restricted in their activities. They do not eat with the man of the house. And one will never see the women taking part in the business affairs of town. On the other hand, as we pass the open doorways of the homes we often see womenfolk grinding flour, ‘kneading dough or winnowing wheat.
Schools, Past and Present
Our guide next takes us to a very old building called a ‘Medersa.’ It is an ancient form of boarding school that was used hundreds of years ago by students from all over the Arab world. In fact, students studied at the numerous universities here in Fez long before Oxford or Cambridge were ever heard of. The ceilings of this building are beautifully carved in wood.
From time to time we can hear the chanting of children’s voices coming from what look like shops or houses. These are Koranic schools for the very young. Under the supervision of someone versed in the Koran, children spend their time reciting portions of the teachings of Mohammed. For many children this is the only schooling they receive. Peering inside, we notice that it is dark and crowded, and that the children have a slate in their hands.
A Pause to Eat, and We Go On
We are hungry after the long walk. So we stop and try some ‘brochettes,’ which are small chunks of meat on a skewer. These are cooked in just a few minutes over a charcoal fire. Certain parts of the medina are full of the pungent smell from these charcoal fires and the meat cooking, usually heart or liver. Brochettes are very inexpensive and one can sprinkle on them cummin or other spices before eating them. If one is thirsty he can have a glass of mint tea, the traditional drink here.
Our rest over, the guide leads us on to inspect craftsmen busily engraving silverware, for which Fez is well known. Many of their workshops are no more than an enlarged hole in the wall, but they proudly show us their handiwork. We marvel at their skill in deftly engraving patterns of all kinds on trays and plates.
Another place that interests us is the tannery. Just look at the hundreds of sheepskins hanging from the walls! Sheep are killed for important events in the family such as circumcision, and for the special annual feast day ‘l’ Aid Al Adha.’ This feast commemorates what many Moslems believe was the attempted sacrifice by Abraham of, not Isaac, but Ishmael. (Gen. 22:1-14) Since each family kills at least one sheep for the occasion, sheepskins are plentiful.
Our guide is intent on taking us into one of the bazaars that sell carpets, rugs and blankets. Some of these bazaars are converted mansions with beautifully carved walls and ceilings. On display are carpets of all colors and sizes, handwoven by Moroccan craftsmen. The owner of the bazaar tirelessly unrolls carpet after carpet in an effort to tempt us to buy, all the while extolling the virtues of each article. Some bazaars provide the buyer with mint tea to drink while he watches the display.
What has particularly impressed us during our visit to Fez? The contrast between life in the ancient city, where people carry on much as they did centuries ago, and life a short distance away in the ‘new city,’ where the style of living is similar to that in other parts of the Western world.