This is still miles from the city center. A section of the connecting road has a stripped bike lane and designated horse-cart track (far right).

Historically, the city was confined by the city wall. Today, the ramparts that can be found are modern reconstructions.

The Mauresque-Andalusian style gate (bab in Arabic) was constructed by the French in 1913, but the 12th-century original -- oriented with an indirect entrance to frustrate battering rams -- can still be seen next to it on the left (partially out of the photo). The lobed, horseshoe arches are decorated with Fassi blue tiles on the outside (left) for the sky and green tiles on the inside (right) for the forest. The tiles are patterned in the form of stars and swirls. Standing outside looking in, there are two minarets. The one on the right belongs to the crumbling 20th-century Sidi Lazzaz Mosque. The other minaret, topped by two golden orbs, is part of the recently restored, historic, 14th-century Bou Inania Medersa.

The are two parallel roads that run much of the length of the medina; Talâa Sghiro (the narrow ascending street) and Talâa Kbira (the wide ascending street). Life on Talâa Kbira tends to be of a bit scaled down and more residential than Talâa Sghiro.

The sides of Talâa Sghiro is predominantly shops. It is fairly standard for them to be stocked from floor to ceiling with goods.

Fez is continuing its association with water features, but the new ones are being installed to enhance traffic circles (right).
 

Seffarine Square dates back to the 9th century. It, a cacophony of coppersmiths and other metal workers, pounding out pots, pans, buckets, incense burners, trays, teapots, sugar boxes, food strainers, kettles, couscous steamers, samovars and more. The finished products are on display in the shops around the square (and throughout Fes). The skills are learned through apprenticeships. Seffarine gives it name to a nearby madrasa and hammam.

Near the entrance is the Nejjarine fountain, which is also admired for its craftsmanship (right).

It was disturbing to see one man washing hides in the river.  Not far away another man was at the river side with a jug of chemicals, wearing chemical resistant gloves and attending to a couple of large baskets of newly cast teapots that needed cleaning. It had all the makings of a poor outcome for water quality.

The tanner uses his bare feet to knead the hides for up to three hours to achieve the desired softness. The hides are then placed in dying pits containing natural vegetable dyes, such as poppy flower (red), indigo (blue), henna (orange), cedar wood (brown), mint (green), and saffron (yellow). Other materials used for dyeing include pomegranate powder, which is rubbed on the skins to turn them yellow, and olive oil, which will make them shiny. Once the leather is died it is taken out to dry under the sun. The finished leather is then sold to other craftsmen who make the famous Moroccan slippers, known as babouches, as well as wallets, handbags, furniture and other leather accessories.

Mostly, the doors can impress you in themselves, but they keep everything beyond them a secret. The best opportunities to get past these guardians is often mosques, inns, and restaurants. Opportunities to penetrating into the city's interior architecture and craftsmanship should not be passed up. They are  is impressive and almost infinite in its variety.

Bab Semmarine used to effectively separates the Jewish community of Fes from the rest of the world. It is another example of the sublime design and craftsmen of the Merinid Dynasty artisans. The wall and corridor feature several arches. The exterior gate has a main structural semicircular arch which is surrounded by a multi-lobe decorative arch. A band of geometrical knot work surrounds the gate.

One of the distinguishing features of this Mellah is the buildings with balconies. In Moslem districts balconies are almost nonexistent and windows are covered with wood lattice so occupants can look out, but not be seen by the public (hiding the women).

Adjacent to the Mellah is a well maintained Jewish cemetery (left).

Moulay Idress Ifran Plateau