Recently we checked out a large number of travel websites offering "inside information" about Fez. What worried us most was the lack of understanding about the Medina and what it has to offer. The list of "facts" below occur on more than one site, but have one thing in common - they are all wrong!
The medina, or “Old Town”, of Fez is perhaps the best preserved medieval city in the world. It was built in the 14th century, and aside from the introduction of electric lighting, little seems to have changed in the six hundred years. Traditional craftsmen still make and ply their wares in one room workshops, and overburdened donkeys are still the only form of transport that can be used in the Medina. The narrow winding streets are a maze for the unwary, and taking a half or full day guided tour may be the best way to see all the sights the Fez medina has to offer on your holiday in Morocco.
There are many statements like the one quoted above. Here are just some of the "facts" we discovered.
#1: "Apart from electricity there is nothing modern in Fez."
#2: "There are no cell (mobile) phones."
#3: "There is no sense of community because everyone is behind windowless walls."
#4: "Women are not allowed out in the streets. If they do they must be in a burqa".
#5: "The narrow winding streets are a maze for the unwary, and taking a half or full day guided tour may be the best way to see all the sights the Fez medina has to offer."
#6: "Fez is a tour town and once you have experienced the filth and stench of the medina and the few Mosques which you cannot enter the trip is effectively over."
#7: "For safety and drinkable water you must stay in a modern hotel outside the Medina."
#8: "There are also many discos and pubs providing entertainment to all those entire people visiting Fez. Thus come and be a part of the world of entertainment here in Fez."
#9: "Taxi drivers never turn the meters on so be careful when they try to rip you off."
#10: "If you need to use the internet you will have to go to the Sheraton Hotel."
Once you have stopped laughing and decide you are after factual information, shop around. Read as much as you can before visiting. You can also search The View from Fez using the search box at the left of the top bar. We recommend the following sites for accurate information:
Fez Information.
Things to do in Fez.
List of further resources.
Top guidebook.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
7 comments:
There are some crazy 'facts' in that list. Although I don't understand why #8 is there. There are many bars and clubs in Fes.
Hi Anon,
The article was talking about the Medina, not the Ville Nouvelle...
Thanks for your response Samir. However, I would beg to differ. There are a few establishments that sell alcohol in the medina and therefore would be classified 'bars', for example F Lounge, riad Fes and the mezzanine, to name a few.
Also, if you are just talking about the medina, why is #9 describing taxis and #10 talking about the Sheraton hotel?
...or another published Fact.
Fes old town is divided into 2 parts, knowned as 'The Medina' and the 'Andalousian Quarter'
Mmm - Riad Fez and F'lounge ( great as they are ) I would not describe as constituting "many pubs and bars"!
Thanks Kevin - another good one! We could have gone and made the list longer, but I think most people will get the point.
Some of the things you see on the web are very strange! Thanks~ it made me laugh.
Thanks Ibn Warraq
My published confusing fact acout Fez came from a booklet called Lonely Planet Fez Encounter guide.
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