Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
leys lead to squares with exquisite fountains, filled with the rhythmic hammer-music of
copper beaters. Getting lost in Fez is where the fun really starts.
THE FOUNTAINS OF FEZ
It seems like you can barely turn a corner in the Fez medina without coming across a seqqâya (public
fountain) - Fassis have historically had something of an obsession for them. It was largely the Al-
moravid (1061-1147) and Almohad (1147-1248) dynasties that were the great water engineers. To
supply water to their cities they diverted rivers, created lakes and constructed vast canal systems.
While they did this across the country, fountain construction reached its zenith in imperial Fez.
There are well over 60 public fountains inside the medina. Along with the hammam, they are usu-
ally located near the neighbourhood mosque. Many were paid for by princes and wealthy merchants.
Some of these fountains are simple basins against a wall. Most are beautifully decorated structures of
coloured tiles, often under a canopy of intricately carved wood. One of the finest is the Nejjarine
fountain . Built in the 18th century, it features zellij (tilework) and stucco that form patterns as delic-
ate as lacework.
Some fountains are still used for water collection and washing by their neighbourhoods; at some,
the water supply has been cut as houses gain their own water supply. The booking agency Fez Riads (
0672 51 33 57; www.fez-riads.com ) puts a percentage of its profits into restoring and maintaining
many of the medina's most neglected fountains.
And if you think that a love of fountains is restricted to the medina, check out the ultramodern and
sparkly fountains recently installed in the ville nouvelle.
History
In AD 789, Idriss I - who founded Morocco's first imperial dynasty - decided that Oualili
(Volubilis) was too small and drew up plans for a grand new capital. He died before the
plans were implemented, however, so credit for the founding of Fez is given to his son,
Idriss II, who carried out the will of his father. The memory of Idriss II is perpetuated in
his zawiya (religious shrine) in the heart of Fès el-Bali.
The city started as a modest Berber town, but then 8000 families fleeing Muslim Spain
and Portugal settled the east bank of the Oued Fez. They were later joined by Arab famil-
ies from Kairouan (Qayrawan) in modern-day Tunisia, who took over the west bank, cre-
ating the Kairaouine quarter. The heritages of these two peoples formed a solid foundation
for future religious, cultural and architectural richness. Idriss II's heirs split the kingdom,
but Fez continued to enjoy peace and prosperity until the 10th century.
Over the next centuries, the fortunes of Fez rose and fell with the dynasties. Civil war
and famine - incited by Berber invasions - were relieved only by the rise of the Al-
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