Morocco 2/16/2024 - 3/2/2024

Wednesday 2/21/2024 - Fes: Hammam, Souks, Bou Inania Madrasa, Qaraouiyine Mosque and University, Chouara Tannery

After a good night's sleep, we woke up at 6 a.m. and showered in the sunken tub. We both felt like ourselves again and were glad that we had chosen to rest up last night so that we could recover. Our stomachs had felt fine after eating dinner last night, and we were looking forward to trying the riad's breakfast this morning.

We went downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast at 8 o'clock. They served us fancy cups of coffee with diamond, heart, club, and spade shaped sugar cubes. We had orange juice, baghrir (spongy semolina pancakes, which are only cooked on one side so that the other side looks quite bubbly), msemen (a thin flatbread folded into square pancakes), fruits, avocado, jellies, bread, local cheese, and cake. Craig got a cheese omelette. There was so much food! It was not a buffet, so we realize why they were so shocked when we didn't come to breakfast yesterday morning because our stomachs were ill.

Before leaving the riad for the day, we made a 6 p.m. dinner reservation and ordered the lamb tajine.

Jamal picked us up at 9:30 and we walked out to where Majid was waiting in the van. Majid drove us to the Palais Amani for our 10 a.m. hammam spa appointment. Immediately, we could tell that the Palais Amani was much more bustling than our riad. There were many more people milling about, gathering fo spa treatments, cooking classes, etc. We saw a large group of people leaving the property for a day of sightseeing.

Jamal checked us in and told us that he would pick us up when we were done, shortly before noon.

We were seated in a gorgeous courtyard full of plants and fountains, and given mint tea and biscotti. We had a vague idea what to expect from the hammam treatment, since we knew that this is something popular in Morocco and Türkiye which was inspired by the ancient Roman baths. But we know that traditional hammams and tourist hammams tend to be different, and we would be experiencing the latter. We had to laugh because Jamal had told us that our hammam experience would have a "happy ending", and we knew that the connotation of that was not the same as it is in the United States!

Craig was a bit apprehensive, as we knew that this was a "steam bath", and with his multiple sclerosis, he is extremely susceptible to heat and humidity. He even fainted after a long stint in a hot tub in Vietnam. At home, when first coming up with the itinerary, we even wondered whether we should book the hammam at all. But it is such a quintessential Moroccan experience, that we felt that we had to try it. Craig would just need to be careful not to get overheated.

When it was time for our hammam experience to begin, we were brought upstairs to a warm changing room where we put our valuables into locked baskets. We changed into just disposable underwear bottoms and bathrobes, and were led downstairs to a steamy, wet room.

We took off our bathrobes and then were doused with hot water. We sat on a bench and two women put a hair mask of white clay ghassoul, mined from the Atlas mountains of Morocco. They rubbed our arms and legs with a natural rose water and bran scrub.

Then we went into a room with a fountain and laid down on benches. It was hot and steamy and we could feel our pores opening as our skin was cleaned. They used a loofah mitt to exfoliate our whole bodies with Moroccan black soap. This is a soap made from olive oil and macerated olives, which has a gel-like consistency and a dark greenish/black color. It looked almost like black petroleum jelly. We would later see it for sale in the souks of Fes and Marrakech. They finished by scrubbing our feet with pumice.

They led me back to the bench where we had started, and gave me a cold glass of lemonade to drink. Then I took a hot shower, where I washed off the black soap and clay. I got back into my bathrobe and sat on the bench, where I was given a glass of water.

Just as Craig was starting to feel a bit hot and wonder if he should bow out to avoid overheating, his time was up anyway. Then they led Craig out to meet me, and he had his lemonade, shower, and glass of water.

They led us upstairs for a couples massage. They gave us a choice of four different argan oils for the massage. We both chose the orange blossom because we liked the scent so much. We had a choice of hard or soft massage. Craig chose hard and I chose soft. I normally would have chosen a hard massage, but my stomach area was still feeling a bit tender, and I didn't want to aggravate it. They covered us in the fragrant oil as they gave us a full body massage. I asked my masseuse to please be a bit careful of my belly area (my stomach made some gurgling noises when she first applied a little pressure), and she immediately backed off and attended to other areas instead.

The hammam treatment and the massage was so relaxing, and we came out of there feeling like a million bucks! Everyone was so hospitable and professional. A definite must-do experience in Morocco!

Jamal came to collect us, and we met Majid in the parking lot. Craig noticed immediately that there was a dent in the side door of the Mercedes van. It turned out that the van had been hit by a mule cart!

Majid dropped us off at the Bab Boujloud (The Blue Gate). This ornate structure dates back to 1913 and marks the main western entrance to the Medina of Fes El Bali (Old Fes). The exterior of the gate is decorated with blue tiles (the color of Fes), while the interior is decorated with green tiles (the color of Islam). Entering the gate, you can see the minaret of the Bou Inania Madrasa, which we would tour shortly.

We explored the souks (markets) of the Medina today. They are a labyrinth of narrow laneways where cars are prohibited (though you still have to look out for motorbikes and donkeys!) Some of the alleys are so narrow that when I stood in the middle, my shoulders touched each wall! There were different areas for different industries (metalwork, fabric, fabric dyeing, woodworking, butcheries, etc). Nobody was pushy about selling you things and everyone was quite friendly. We sampled some sweets (dates filled with walnuts), and saw camels' heads and sheep’s heads for sale in butcher shops. We saw women making the thin dough used in pastillas. The hammering of a master metalworker was hypnotizing. It was all a feast for the senses.

We visited Bou Inania Madrasa (Koranic school), which dates back to the 1350’s. It was built by the Marinid sultan Faris ibn Ali Abu Inan al-Mutawakkil. The courtyard was beautiful, with zellige tile mosaic work, cedar wood carving, and stucco. There are Koranic verses decorating many of the surfaces. Though the Koranic school is no longer in operation, the on-site mosque is still functioning.

According to Wikipedia:

To the Marinids, madrasas played a part in bolstering the political legitimacy of their dynasty. They used this patronage to encourage the loyalty of Fes's influential but fiercely independent religious elites and also to portray themselves to the general population as protectors and promoters of orthodox Sunni Islam. The madrasas also served to train the scholars and elites who operated their state's bureaucracy.

The Bou Inania Madrasa was the largest and most important madrasa created by the Marinid dynasty and turned into one of the most important religious institutions of Fes and Morocco. It was the only such madrasa to gain the status of congregational mosque or "Friday mosque", which meant that the Friday sermon (khutba) was delivered here like in the other most important mosques of the city. As a result, it was fully equipped with all the facilities of a major mosque and religious complex, in addition to extensive decoration. The architecture and decoration of the madrasa is also considered to be the culmination of this type of Marinid architecture.

On top of the minaret is a small crane used to display a flag. This was to tell deaf people that it was Friday and time to pray since they cannot hear the call to prayer! It is great to see such inclusion even so many years ago! It is even visible from outside the Medina.

We saw the Dar al-Magana ("House of the Clock"), a 14th-century building built by the Marinid Sultan Abu Inan Faris which houses a weight-powered water clock. Metal balls were released into brass bowls from twelve small doors to signal the hours. Jewish philosopher Maimonides is said to have inhabited this same building.

Jamal taught us why some of the doors in the medina's alleyways have two door knockers. They sound different when used. One is for women or children to use, and if the lady of the house hears this door knocker, she can answer the door without covering her hair, etc. If the other door knocker is used, it is a man at the door, and she would need to either cover herself before answering the door or ask someone else to answer it for her.

There are also metal hinges shaped like the hand of Fatima. The number of "fingers" on the hand indicate who lives there. Three fingers indicate Berber inhabitants, and five indicate Jewish or Arab Muslim.

Jamal pointed out the Oued Bou Khrareb, a part of the Fes River, near Place Seffarine. This square has traditionally been the main souq of Fes's coppersmiths. We observed some master craftsmen hammering copper here.

We visited a carpet co-op that employs over 1300 women. They showed us Andalusian designs and Amazigh (Berber) designs. Carpets are made from wool, camel hair, or agave silk. Techniques include knotting, embroidery, and weaving. Some carpets involved all three techniques without being pieced together. Some of the knotted rugs are two sided, with one side being warmer/more plush for winter and the other being cooler for summer. All of the dyes are natural. The carpets were gorgeous; we wish we had some bare floors at home to cover!

We went up to the roof for views of Qaraouiyine Mosque and University (the world’s oldest continuously operating university which dates back to 859 A.D.) We couldn't enter Qaraouiyine, but were able to peek through the doorway at the Bab al-Ward (Gate of the Flowers) to get a quick look at the courtyard.

Our last stop in Fes was the Chouara Tannery, a must-do experience in the Medina. Though the exact date is unclear, it is thought that the tanneries date back to the 10th century, and traditional methods are still used today. UNESCO has helped to preserve the craft. They make leather from camel, cow, sheep, and goat hides (the animals that they eat, so that there is no waste). Camel is the softest, lightest weight, and most durable. I was excited not just to see the process of tanning the hides, but also to buy something. Unlike some of the other artisenal worshops we had visited, I was actually in need of something that they sold here: a wallet.

We were taken upstairs to a terrace which overlooked the tannery, and a man explained the process to us. First, a hide is put into a mixture of lime, water, and pigeon droppings. It stays in there for 15 days and then the hair is easily removed. Then the hide is dried for another 2 weeks, and then can be dyed. The dye vats look like a paintbox, and men agitate the dye with their feet.

Though we have heard that the smell of the tanneries can be stifling, given that it was still wintertime, the smell wasn’t overpowering today. Still, they gave us each a sprig of mint as we entered, calling it a "Berber gas mask." The smell actually didn’t bother me at all, but Craig has a strong sense of smell and had to take a whiff of the mint a few times. Other people arrived soon after us, and they were obviously bothered by the smell, choosing not to linger on the terrace very long. One woman was wearing a face mask and tucked the sprig of mint inside. All in all, the smell wasn't as bad as we had feared, but we can only imagine what it smells like at the height of summer.

We have seen these tanneries on TV (most recently "The Amazing Race" filmed here several years ago). It was really fascinating to witness this millenium-old process in person.

After taking some photos and observing the tanning process, we explored the showrooms. They had three floors of leather goods for sale, from poufs to clothing to bags to wallets. They even make clothing to order and will have it ready in just 4 hours to deliver to your hotel! On the ground floor, I found a wallet that I liked, made of camel hide, and bargained for it. They gave us two little leather keychains shaped like Moroccan babouche slippers for free. These would make great ornaments on our Christmas tree!

After visiting the tanneries, we arrived back at the riad at 4 o'clock. We are so grateful to Jamal for splitting up yesterday's planned activities over two days. We did four additional hours of sightseeing today after the hammam treatment. We never would have been able to do all of that yesterday when we weren't feeling well. We were so much better today and were really able to enjoy everything.

Craig and I showered to wash off the argan oil on our skin and in our hair from the hammam treatment this morning. We went to dinner at 6 o'clock in the restaurant, and once again we were the only people there. Last night we had sampled the Mediterranean menu, but tonight we had the Moroccan menu. It is a pre-fixe three course meal. Craig once again had a Casablanca beer, and we started with bread with olives and a very flavorful chicken and vegetable soup. The lamb tajine with prunes came bubbling hot in the tajine. The meat was so tender, it was falling off the bone. Dessert was ice cream pie with fruit and nuts. They played the Sting "Touch of Jazz" playlist again, which I enjoyed.

After dinner, we settled up the bill (we owed for two dinners) because we would be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning before the restaurant opens. They kindly offered to pack us a to-go breakfast.

We went back to our room, packed up our things after a lovely three night stay, and I typed up notes from today.

Palais Amani Riad and Hammam

Bou Inania Madrasa

Chouara Tannery