Inside Fez Morocco’s Ancient Medina ｜ Artisans, Tannery & Culture

Welcome to Morocco. In just five days we explored bustling souks, vibrant medinas, and unforgettable landmarks from Marrakech and Casablanca to Fez and the blue city of Chefchaouen. After falling in love with South Africa last summer, our Africa journey continues here in the North African gem of Morocco. Join us in this episode as we visit Fez. There are places you visit and then there are places you step into. Fez isn't just old, it's alive. With over 9,000 alleyways and no cars allowed, this is the world's oldest living medieval city. And for one unforgettable day, our guide helped us to understand how it works. So they're entering the old part of Fez. We have arrived. We're still waiting to check in. At our hostel. Not sure what's happening. It's really pretty in here. It's really pretty. But there's something going on, so we're waiting. So here is our little riad. We just came up these stairs. We walked in here, which I thought was going to be a hallway, but it's our room. There's our little beds. There's a bunch of beds in here, actually. And then this is our balcony view. As I'm waking up this morning, I was thinking and telling Mike, this might be one of the least expensive places that we've stayed in in a really long time. And it's really pretty. There's carvings on the wall. There's lanterns up on the ceiling. There's tiling on the floor. I mean, it's pretty. And the bed was comfortable. But Mike's taking a cold shower right now because there's no hot water. So just as you're thinking, hey, it's so great. Everything is going to be great. And it still is. You'll be fine. It's a great deal. So right in the heart of Fez. Yesterday I was clever, wanted to change the world. It's not a bad deal, huh? This is all for us. What in the world? Okay, for the room. That's good. What is that? That looks good. A whole egg sandwich with cheese. It's like a fruit salad. Want hot chocolate? You got a little yogurt and granola. I never thought about doing that. Never seen you get so excited about breakfast. Who would have thought, right? Early in the morning before the shops open and the crowds arrive, Fez feels almost secretive. Behind every one of these closed wooden doors is a workshop, a home or a business that's been here for generations. At this hour, you can hear the footsteps echo off the walls that are older than most countries. It was here that we met our guide Abdul. This medina was never built for cars. It was built for people, donkeys and trade. Some of these streets are so narrow, you can stretch your arms out and touch both sides. And some of them you can't even stretch out your arms. It's not designed to be easy. It's designed to protect from heat, from invaders, from time. Every surface here tells a story. Carved cedar wood, hand-cut tiles, heavy brass knockers. Nothing feels accidental. Even the wear and tear feels intentional. Fez was founded over 1200 years ago and quickly became one of the most important cities in the Islamic world. Scholars, traders, artisans, they all pass through here. These large courtyard buildings are called fondouks. Traveling caravans would arrive here with goods from across Africa and the Middle East, staying overnight while their animals rested below. Trade is the reason this city still exists. And of course, the unofficial residence of the medina. Cats nap in doorways, dogs wander the alleys. Even here, in one of the oldest cities in the world, life continues in the simplest ways. Our guide loved them just as much as we did, which instantly made us like him even more. It was a Friday in Fez, where things start more quietly. But this quiet doesn't last long. Soon the shutters will lift, the sounds of hammers, bargaining and footsteps will fill the streets, and the medina will fully come alive. For many families, it's a day of prayer, rest and gathering. So the medina felt a little quieter, a little slower. But even on a Friday, one thing never stops here, food. One of the traditional dishes we learned about was khli, often served with eggs, especially on Friday mornings. Even in the quiet of Friday, the fruit carts were bright and overflowing. Persimmons, avocados, oranges stacked in perfect little pyramids. The colors alone make you stop. It's simple everyday food, but somehow it feels special. And then we tried the prickly pear. Sweet, juicy and slightly floral. One of our favorite stops was watching a local woman prepare paper-thin pastry sheets. These delicate layers are used for dishes like pastilla, a sweet and savory pie that Fez is famous for. She works so quickly and effortlessly, smiling, spreading each layer by hand. And like so many people we met here, she welcomed us to watch, to photograph, to taste. So Mike just bought some of these. What is this called again? Everywhere we stopped, people smiled, they let us take photos, ask questions, try things. Even in a city this old and complex, there's so much warmth. Oh wow. As we continued walking, we passed through the dyer's market. Nothing polished, nothing staged, just everyday people buying and selling, working and living. That's just what makes Fez so powerful. It's not preserved behind glass. It's still functioning. It's still real. As the Medina fully awoke, we started to see what Fez is really built on. Not just trade, not just history, but hands. Before we arrived, we told our guide one thing. We didn't just want to shop, but we wanted to see the craftsmen and women at work. We began in Plaz Seferin, one of the most famous artisan squares in Fez. For centuries, this has been the heart of copper work in the Medina. Every pot, tray and basin you see is shaped by hand. Hammered, heated, polished. And the name of the place is Seferin. And Seferin is a reference to the saffron, because in the bottom is red, and after it starts cooking, it's really low. And also we can use it for our alternative medicine, you know, ma'am. Like the red copper and the bronze, they are not only... We stepped into a small shop where the owner has been practicing this craft for decades. You could see the pride in his work. He wasn't just selling copper, he was continuing a tradition. In moments like this, where someone welcomes you into their life's work, that's why we love traveling this way. In another corner of the Medina, we visited a women's carpet cooperative. Many of these rugs are woven by Berber women, each design carrying meaning, symbols of protection, fertility, family. I'm coming! While in the shop, we were welcomed and given information about how all the different types of carpets are made. The building was beautiful. Some carpets, centuries old, hanging from the ceiling. Of course, the vintage style rugs are the ones that drew my attention. The softness of the camel hair surprised me. We didn't come to buy, but we did come to learn. Maybe next time. And learning changes how you see everything. The rugs were beautiful, and I can definitely see places in my home for these rugs. But we'll have to wait until next time. Cedar is everywhere in Fez. It's carved into doors, ceilings, furniture. You can't even tell the difference between the cedar that's been aged and the iron. Naturally resistant to insects and beautifully aromatic, it's been used here for centuries. Even the smallest detail, a carved arch, a door frame, carries hours of work. From metal to silk. Inside another workshop, looms clicked steadily as scarves were woven thread by thread. This kind of weaving takes patience and muscle memory. For every movement is precise and every pattern is intentional. Oh, this is agave. Okay. What is happening? Look at that. Uh-huh. Okay. Wow. Our suitcases were already completely full of lamps, but I still couldn't help stopping into another store to check things out. Oh. The tannery in Fez has been operating here since the 11th century, making it one of the oldest leather tanneries in the world. The process hasn't changed much in centuries. First, the hides, usually cow, sheep, or goat, are soaked and cleaned in limestone and natural solutions to soften them and remove hair. Then they're transferred into these stone vats filled with natural dyes. The colors come from plant-based and mineral sources. Indigo for blue, poppy flowers for red, saffron for yellow, henna for orange, and mint for green. The hides soak for days, absorbing the color before being laid out to dry in the sun. It's entirely manual. No large machines, no factory lines. Just workers moving from vat to vat, repeating a process that's been passed down through generations. Once the leather dries, it's sold to artisans throughout the medina who turn it into bags, jackets, poofs, and slippers. Seeing it from above, it looks almost artistic, but on the ground, it's hard physical work. Look where we're at. Checking out the tanneries in Fez. I mean, it's such a nice time to be here too on a Friday. It's nice and slow. It's beautiful. And then we're gonna head upstairs to see another view. A little bit higher up. Okay, we're headed upstairs. Let's go take a look. What a beautiful day in Fez. We're up on the rooftop. Take a look at that. All the tanneries down there. It actually does not smell too bad, right? As long as you don't take a big whiff in. It's because it's not summer. Look at all this stuff. Yeah. It's flexible, durable, never crack, and not heavy. It's for our speciality, leather jacket. Yeah. Because downstairs on the second floor, we're going down to the next level. The next level. Yeah, where are we? Hamoud. You are in the tannery. Which? Shawara in Fez, Morocco. Okay. That's the oldest one in the world. Okay. You're welcome. Thank you. Fez has long been one of Morocco's great centers of pottery and Zelige tile work, a craft that dates back over a thousand years. The process begins with the local clay gathered from the surrounding hills. On the potter's wheel, you can see the transformation happen in seconds. A lump of earth becoming a bowl, a tangine lid, a vessel shaped entirely by hand. Every curve is guided by touch and experience. We're going to speak, we're going to dance, music goes. Yeah. Thank you. Very nice. Thank you. After drying in the sun, the pieces are fired in kilns and olive pits are burned to increase the temperature of the kiln. Some artisans focus solely on painting, carefully brushing traditional geometric and floral patterns onto each surface. Others specialize in tile making. For Zelige, the tiles are first glazed, then individually hand cut into small geometric shapes using a sharp chisel. Each piece is trimmed with incredible precisions, no two exactly alike. Then, working face down, artisans assemble the mosaic patterns one fragment at a time, building intricate designs that will eventually line courtyards, fountains, mosques, and riads across the country. There are no machines guiding this process, just years of apprenticeship, steady hands, and an eye trained to see symmetry before the pattern even reveals itself. Standing here, watching them work, you understand this isn't just pottery, it's architecture, it's mathematics, it's heritage. After the rhythm of hammers and chisels, we stepped into a quieter part of Fez, the Jewish Quarter. For centuries, Jewish families lived and worked here, contributing to the trade and culture of the city. The architecture here feels different, but it's a reminder that Fez has always been a meeting place of faiths, traditions, and communities. And then we found ourselves inside our guide's small family herbalist shop. Shelves lined with jars of dried roots, flowers, spices, and oils, the air thick with the scent of eucalyptus and mint. This wasn't a performance, this was a family business, knowledge passed down through generations. When Mike had mentioned that his stomach had been hurting, the brother immediately began blending herbs. He explained what each one did and how to steep them properly, created a tea, and Mike did feel better. It was such a small moment, but it felt deeply human. That's what stays with you, not just the monuments, not just the craftsmanship, but the kindness. Travel often shows you landmarks, but sometimes the moments that stay with you are the quiet ones. A brother helping another, strangers welcoming you like old friends, a small shop filled with jars and generosity. Craftsmanship shows you skill, but places like this show you heart, and that might be what we'll remember most about Fez. Fez drew us in, it captivated us, it inspired us, but more than anything, it welcomed us. As we leave the maze of the medinas behind, we carry more than souvenirs, we carry stories and a little piece of Fez with us. From above, the medina looks endless, a maze of rooftops, winding alleys, sentries layered on top of each other. Just this morning, we were strangers here, now it feels familiar. Fez doesn't reveal itself all at once, it unfolds slowly, if you're willing to lean in. We couldn't have experienced it the way we did without our incredible guide, Abdul. We have just had the most amazing day in Fez, all because of Abdul. It's a fantastic, fantastic tour guide that took us to all the best places. So kind, so generous. Took care of my belly because it was upset. Yes, even took Mike to a special place, yeah. And so we highly recommend. We're going to come back and see you again. Thank you so much and come to visit in Morocco. Absolutely. It's your second home, you're all welcome. Thank you, Abdul. I want to sit up in front. We've got quite a few shopping bags here. Suitcases are full, probably stuff all over the floor down here. Fez isn't filled with tourist attractions, but it's real. We're leaving with more than footage, we're leaving with stories, connection and memories that changed us. And this is just the beginning. This journey through Morocco and across Africa is a dream we've been holding onto for a long time. Next, we're headed north to the blue streets of Chefchaouen. And in just a couple of months, we'll be deep in the forests of Uganda, trekking to see mountain gorillas in the wild. If you've been dreaming about Africa the way we have, come with us. Subscribe and follow along as we continue exploring the cultures, landscapes and stories that make this continent so extraordinary. From Fez to Chefchaouen to Uganda, we're just getting started.