Fez Riads restoration project - update.

Noureddine Ahab at work

From time to time, regular readers will have come across mention of the wonderful community projects being done by Fez Riads. The small enterprise looks after the rental of all the major Riads and guest houses in Fez and donates an amount from every rental towards restoration projects in the Fez Medina.

Our intrepid Special Affairs Editor, Lumen, decided to see what progress was being made on the latest restoration and conservation project. Here is her special report.

FEZ RIADS RESTORATION PROJECTS: Update February 2007

Work has continued throughout the winter, despite the bitter cold and wet weather.

Si Mohamed Tanhim cleans the zelig
Si Mohamed Benchrif and his team of Noureddine Ahab and Si Mohamed Tanhim continued work yesterday on the fountain in Derb Jama El-Hamiya. There were gaping holes in the surface of the surround where mosaic tiles had fallen off over the years. They cut new tiles to fit in the intricate pattern and fixed them in, and the surface is now intact. Cold and wet work, but satisfying to see it all in place.

The broken pipes from the spring
However, like all building projects, when one problem is solved, another rears its ugly head. The fountain is supplied with water from a natural spring. Close by is a very old, very large mulberry tree, and it seems that over the years, its roots have broken the ancient terracotta pipes bearing the water to the fountain.

Water escaping down the street
Just near the antique shop a few metres up the street, there’s a pool of water bubbling up, and the cobbles have come loose. Very little water is now reaching the fountain.

So this seems to be the next part of the project: taking up the cobbles, laying a new pipe, and replacing them. As the fountain plays a major role in the life of local people who use the water for household needs and to wash their animals, it’s vital that the connection is restored.

Restored zelij

Don't forget to support Fez Riads and their conservation work by booking your accommodation through their site. When you make a reservation through Fez Riads, a donation is automatically made towards the preservation of the Medina. Two percent of your accommodation costs is channeled into a special fund to finance micro-projects in a private capacity. A good example of such work has been carried out on a Qur'anic School in the Guerniz area. Now Fez Riads is delighted to announce two new projects, the cleaning and restoration of the public fountain (pictured above) and the planting of a garden in a Medina square. Find them here: FEZ RIADS

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