Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Medersa el-Attarine
MEDERSA
(admission Dh10; 9am-6pm)
Founded by Abu Said in 1325 in the heart of the medina, the
Medersa el-Attarine was designed as an annexe to the nearby Kairaouine. The central
courtyard displays the traditional patterns of Merenid artisanship, with magnificent
zellij
(tilework), carved plaster and cedar wood. Onyx columns flank the mihrab (niche facing
Mecca). Slightly smaller than the Medersa Bou Inania, it has been sensitively restored.
Medersa Bou Inania
(admission Dh10; 9am-6pm, closed during prayers)
A short walk down Talaa Kebira from Bab
Bou Jeloud, the Medersa Bou Inania is the finest of Fez' theological colleges. It was built
by the Merenid sultan Bou Inan between 1350 and 1357. The
medersa
underwent extens-
ive restoration a few years ago, and the results are amazing: elaborate
zellij
and carved
plaster, beautiful cedar
mashrabiyyas
(lattice screens) and massive brass doors.
Whereas most
medersas
just have a simple prayer hall, the Bou Inania is unusual in that
it hosts a complete mosque, including a beautiful green-tiled minaret. The mihrab has a
particularly fine ceiling and onyx marble columns. It's thought that the
medersa
required a
larger-scale mosque because there was none other nearby at the time.
MEDERSA
Nejjarine Museum of
Wooden Arts & Crafts
( 0535 74 05 80; Pl an-Nejjarine; admission Dh20; 10am-7pm)
Opened in 1998, this museum
is in a wonderfully restored
funduq
- a caravanserai for travelling merchants who stored
and sold their goods below and took lodgings on the floors above. Centred on a courtyard,
the rooms are given over to displays of traditional artefacts of craftsmen's tools, chunky
prayer beads and Berber locks, chests and musical instruments (compare the traditional
wedding furniture with the modern glitzy chairs outside in Pl an-Nejjarine). Everything is
beautifully presented, although the stunning building gives the exhibits a run for their
money. The rooftop cafe has great views over the medina. Photography is forbidden.
MUSEUM
Batha Museum
MUSEUM
