Fes Off The Beaten Path

Formerly one of the town houses of the vizier family El-Moqri, the Dar El Moqri is now a school for arts and crafts in building trade.

It has a beautifully restored court with orange trees and a fountain. From here you have a pretty view on the houses of Fès. Inside the house you can admire beautiful "zellije" works (hand cut tiles) and a hall with wooden inlays and carvings, serving sometimes as an auditorium.

The Dar El Moqri is located in Fès El Bali, a 10 min walk from the museum Dar Batha. It's a bit hidden in the tangle of the streets, but you can ask your way through. There is no official open access for tourists, but you may ask the gard, if he will let you have a look.
(Don't confuse the "Dar El Moqri" with the "Palais Taib El Moqri", another famous town house of the family, which you can rent in part for special occasions.)

Address:
L'Institut de Formation des Métiers Traditionnels du Bâtiment;
Dar El Moqri;
12-14, Rue Oued Souaffine;
BP 575;
Fès-Batha

Just one of the many mosques in teh medina, Ash Sherabliyin Mosque sticks in my mind as we passed it during the call to prayer. Though we weren't allowed enter, it was interesting to see the men hurying to the mosque as the call went out and we did get to look inside the doors. The mosque takes its name from the slipper makers who work in this area.

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The Chouaras Tanneries are what most visitors to Fes see, but there is a smaller tannery near Place an Nejjerine. From this square, take the path to the left near the museum, and at the end of the narrow street, you'll come upon some shops selling leather. If you climb the stairs in one of these shops you can look out over the tannery. There is probably another way to see the tannery but without a guide it will be difficult to find.

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A medersa is a religious building where students study muslim law and theology. It usually has an open courtyard, with a fountain (for ablutions) in the centre and students rooms overlooking the courtyard.

Andalus medersa was the first one I saw in Morocco and though by no means the most visited or celebrated of the many medersa's in Fes, or indeed Morocco, it was one of my favourites. Not too many tourists make it to the Andalus quarter and we had the whole of the medersa to ourselves. It's so quiet and peaceful in here that it's difficult to believe that only a door separates you from the madness of the medina outside.

When we entered the medina through the southern gates, one of the first things we saw was the chicken sellers square. It had been many years since I'd seen a live chicken, and I normally prefer to shop for the "finished product" rather than the live one. Little more than a tiny square, there seemed to be more sellers than chickens.

Fes-el-Jdid receives far fewer visitors than Fes el-Bali though it is worth a visit if you have the time. What struck me most about Fes El-Jdid was how laid back it was compared to the medina. You can actually visit shops, and walk around in peace without constant hassle from vendors.

The Dar el-Makhzen (Royal Palace) is the most interesting building in Fes El Jdid. However, all you will see is the exterior as the inside is closed to the public. Also of interest is the mellah, the old Jewish quarter, and the Bou Jeloud Gardens.

The first real sight we saw on our tour around Fes el-Bali was the Andalus Mosque, in the heart of the Andalus Quarter, one of the oldest parts of the medina. I was still struggling to get to grips with how our guide pronounced English (he spoke extremely fast!) so I didn't take in too much of what he told us about the mosque. Unfortunately we could only admire it from outside, as, like all the mosques in Fes, it was closed to non-muslims.

Sefrou is a town only a few kilometers away from Fes. It is worth a daytrip to see the beautiful cascades, parks, and peacocks.
It's also the OLDEST city in Morocco.
It has a distinctive pace and charm. While you can get anything you see in its medina at the medina in Fes, it is smaller and less intimidating.
There is also a cherry festival held here in June.

You can take a grand taxi here, it takes maybe 20-30 minutes. Don't forget that there are several grand taxi stations in Fes. When going there, ask to be taken to the "Sefrou grand taxi station."