While planning my trip I’d heard over and over again that there’s not much to the souks of Fes compared to what you can find in Marrakech. Or that it’s a dirty, smelly, noisy place and the locals aren’t friendly, or are known to hassle foreigners. Having been to both places now I wholeheartedly disagree on all counts… except for the hassling part.
All the Anthony Bourdain watching, guidebook-reading and advice on the interwebs left by other travelers doesn’t prepare you at all for what it’s like to be hassled, cajoled and sometimes literally dragged into someone’s shop in the souks of Fes for a “complimentary” cup of mint tea. And it will happen. Oh, yes it will.
But that’s kind of half the fun! My friend and I got lost in the narrow winding streets of the Medina more than once and ended up walking in circles until someone laughed at us and pointed us in the right direction… or pointed us in the right direction and asked for money, or pointed us in the direction of his shop and started off listing prices for things like scarves and bags right there.
The riad where we stayed was in the old Medina and only a few minutes walk to the Bab Boujloud (aka the Blue Gate) which is the closest thing to an entrance you can find to the souks. There’s not much to do here but admire the intricate details and take a couple photos before heading inside.
And then get ready to see (and sometimes smell) about a million different things. Imagine an outlet mall combined with a supermarket on crack, or steriods, or both, and you’ve got the jacked up souks of Fes. You can find all kinds of clothes, scarves, leather goods like shoes, bags and jackets, slippers, lanterns, candle holders, rugs, and all kinds of food. Fresh baked bread, figs, dates, dried fruits, vegetables, coffee beans, tea leaves, spices, eggs, ducks, roosters… I even saw what I’m pretty sure was a camel head hanging in a butcher’s shop, but I was too afraid to take a picture.
Anyway. The souks in Fes can be a bit of a crazy, busy place, and it may not be for everyone, but I loved it. Hope you like the photos!
-C
