Facelift for Fez medina fountains

Two fountains in the Ain Azleten district of the medina have been restored this week, financed by donations from local guesthouses.

The fountain in Derb Bouhaj

This fountain at the lower end of Derb Bouhaj is near the skin-washing facilities. It had lost most of its mosaics (zellij) and become a dumping ground for rubbish. The fountain is no longer supplied with water.

the fountain as rubbish dump

Visitors to Fez who book their accommodation through the agency Fez Riads know that some of their accommodation costs goes towards small projects of restoration in the medina. It's the medina guesthouses listed on the Fez Riads website that donate money to this fund. Fez Riads chose the newly-formed construction company T2M headed by Si Mohamed Mouaniss to complete the work.

Derb Bouhaj fountain restored

This sad little fountain in Derb Rihana is obviously well-loved as the garden around it is well tended and the earth fertilised, although there are no plants other than the tree. But the fountain itself, also no longer providing water, had lost some zellij and been partially covered with concrete. Its basin was covered with earth. Now that it's been restored, the next job will be to consult the neighbours and buy them some plants.

Derb Rihana fountain before ...

Derb Rihana fountain after

A job well done: Noureddine Hilal the zelliji and his assistant Adnan Chaouqi