A Long Morning Touring the Fez Medina

Today was our first and last morning in Fez, so we had too take a tour of the oldest Medina in the world - the Fez Medina

Starting off with a traditional Moroccan breakfast - 

complete with a variety of breads, jams, and freshly squeezed OJ

The waiter pouring traditional Moroccan mint tea. 

Great to eat breakfast next to a fountain.

At the old palace, turned museum.

An old Qur'an - the Muslim holy book.

Fabric for the king centuries ago.

Royal scarves and fashions

 Royal Jewelry

Royal Moroccan traditional shoes - babouches (bah-boo-shez)

A royal guitar 

More beautiful tile work.

A doorway within a large doorway.

An ancient royal tea pot - probably for some more Moroccan mint tea.

In the doorway pictured above. 

Ancient royal Moroccans must have been shorter than me!

The royal garden.

Royal cat? 

Cats seem to be a fixed part of the medina - they were all over the place!

Donkeys too!

Inside an ancient school - turned mosque. 

One of the few that non-Muslims are permitted to enter.

Wood carvings from a door in the mosque.

A teenager carving out Arabic for a Muslim headstone.

Sample Muslim headstones.

A beautiful fountain in the middle of the medina.

Riads are all over Fez.

The windows of a modest looking riad.

Who knows how grand it may be behind these walls!

With each traditional zellige tile work, there can be so many designs in one design.

Up close.

Around a window. 

Fez carved in Arabic

A colorful stain glassed window in another riad.

A view when the shutters are opened.

View of the city.

Entering the grandiose courtyard of a larger riad.

Each courtyard of a riad must have a fountain.

Elaborate ceilings

Waiting for directions.

A carpenter, getting started on painting this traditional table. 

Who knows how long it will take to finish!

A finished piece. 

A medina street under construction.

Still touring the medina.

Another beautiful public fountain.

The entry way to an ancient school.

The seat for a bride in a traditional Moroccan wedding. 

In this seat, a bride to be will be carried to her husband to be by family members. 

A traditional  Moroccan wedding chair for the bride and groom on the right with a bridal seat on the left. 

Another mosque with a beautiful fountain for worshipers to use as needed. 

One of many squares in the medina. 

The large containers at the bottom of the picture are pots.

Notice how large they are, especially compared to the people walking nearby!

These pots are rented to people for them to cook large feasts. 

Still touring the medina.

Getting to a nice view.....

Is that a man standing in a pit or container?!

He was part of the extensive tanneries in Fez.

This is where all the local leathers are dyed different colors. 

A view of most of the tanneries. 

A young boy drying dyed leather.

Visiting a local bakery. 

How traditional Moroccan fabrics are made - even today.

These machines are only used by men, so the shopkeeper said. 

Another minaret from the medina floor. 

Some traditional Moroccan fabrics as a horse decides to make an appearance. 

Traditional dried meat in animal fats - a Fez delicacy.