Just the name of Fes brings up images and preconceptions.  I had envisioned winding lanes, stalls, shops, and an onslaught of smells, sights and sounds.  Fes did not disappoint.  We spent a couple of days there staying in the UNESCO World Heritage listed medina and spent a full day exploring it. As well as being a huge tourist draw with shops selling local handicrafts to visitors, it is also a working market and artisan centre. Here are some of the sections that we walked through, though this merely scratched the surface.

There are areas for spinning and dying silk.

spun silk

There are also tanneries and dye pits.  When we visited it was quiet, as during ramadan the tanners and dyers work in the early (cooler) hours of the morning. The hides are treated in a pungent mixture that is made of pigeon droppings and horse pee (amonia) before they are dyed.

Hides drying

Pre-dye treatment pits (on the left) and dye pits on the right

workers in the dye pits

Fresh mint leaves to lessen the smell which can be strong (though not unbearable)

Leather waiting to become shoes

inside a leather shop

traditional Moroccan leather slippers

Weaving loom in a cooperative

Setting up the loom takes 12 days

Yarns

Some of the resulting scarves

A. in Bedouin scarf

clothing district

As well as leather and cloth districts there are also food lanes.

dates & other dried fruit

sweets

Meat in fat

Camel meat stall

bread

Knife sharpener in the hardware district

Finally we had lunch in a lovely Moroccan restaurant

restaurant in the medina

Lunch: tagines, olives and dips

transport in the medina

It was quite a ride!  An intense, sensory overloaded ride.  Utterly fascinating and spectacular.  I thoroughly recommend spending time here.

Tips:

Take a guide for your first half-day or full day. You get some history and you don’t get lost. After that go it alone and see where you end up!

Look for the signs: The Fes tourist board has put up signs and arrows to the major sights to help tourists navigate the medina. Look out for them and follow them to find your way.