Fes, Morocco

Fes is the second largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca, with around 1 million inhabitants, situated in the north of Morocco. It comprises three distinct parts: Fes el Bali, the old ‘medina’ - or city, Fes Jdid, the newer medina and home of the Jewish quarter, and the ‘Ville Nouvelle’, the newest and most modern, French-created part of the city. Fes el Bali is very much an old, traditional Moroccan city, with high walls, narrow, and maze-like streets that do not allow for car traffic, or comfortable passing in many places, being less than a metre wide.

Many of the streets are covered with slatted, arched or more makeshift roofs that can give a hugely claustrophobic atmosphere, particularly when lost and it is high summer and 45° C. Fes el Bali is notable in that it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981; it is also known for having high religious values, prevalent during Ramadan. Around 180, 000 people live in the medina, nearly 20% of Fes’s population.

One of the most interesting sites in Fez is the Leather Souq and the oldest leather tannery in the world. The tannery dates back at least nine centuries. When approaching the tannery the smell is the first suggestion that something different is about to appear. The smell drifts around the balcony from where all the activity can be viewed and is enough to put off the most enthusiastic of tourists.