Fès

Kairaouine Mosquee and University 

Two days without those vibrant colours and incredible smells are making me nostalgic.  I went to Morocco and it was my first destination OUTSIDE of Europe (shame on me!). In this post I'd like to convey the Moroccan atmosphere and share it with you.The trip starts in Fés, a 1200 years old city known for its medina, the historical city centre full of colourful people everywhere.: Fés el-Bali. The Medina did not change so much from the medieval period; it still has the same urban structure, sorrounded by hills.  Morocco is an Islamic country with 99% of the population that believes in Allah and the rest is either Catholic or Jewish...that's why there are many mosquees around the city. This is a photo of Kairaouine mosquee and the oldest university in the world, founded in 859. 

The entrance of mosquee

Near this you can find two Koranic schools where children  study the Corano to deeper their faith: Medersa el-Attarine and the most beautiful school in Fès, Medersa Bou Inania with beautiful ceramics, windows and door fixtures in cedar. 


After looking around and visiting most of the tourist places (you can visit the Nejjarine wood museum), the most important thing you MUST to do is...getting lost!!! 

The most peculiar cultural component of Fès city centre are the tanneries: definitely worth a visit!The goat's skin is coloured according to the thousand-year-old tradition that harkens back to the Middle Ages; in fact the processing techniques have not changed so much to these very days. 

The smell is quite strong, but the whole atmosphere is magic...the workers are inside the tanks kneeled down, and the dead animals skin is cleaned with pigeons poop and coloured with natural essences: saffron (for yellow colour) and poppy (for red colour).

Fès enchanted me and I was really fashinated by the colours and the style of the city. 

You have to visit it; for sure! Do these photos tell you enough? I guess so :)

Me and the mosaic

P.S: This post was written in 2015, my first time in Morocco, but I put it in the blog as "draft"...stay tuned for other new adventures around this country!