"Fes" a Wilaya de Fes Travel Page by ttishbite

Fes is the "symbolic heart of Morocco" and is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world.

It's like a different world inside the walled Medina. No cars allowed, only donkeys.

Fes was our fourth stop on our tour of the country and probably the most memorable, mostly because of our accommodations.

We rented a whole Riad (traditional Moroccan house) that was built in the 19th century by an Oulema (doctor of faith). He called it Dar Saada, that is the house of happiness.

It was quite a masterpiece, similar to the palaces we visited in Marrakech. Its architecture and furnishings were truly authentic.

Of course it wasn't always this way. Like most of the buildings in the old city of Fes, its structure was decaying and may have been lost. (The structure housing the Riad Sadda was built in 1365.) It eventually was purchased and rehabilitated by a French couple who rent it out for tourists when they are not visiting.

Our hosts were two locals, Bahia and Si Mohammed, who brought us yummy mint tea and cookies, without even asking, on numerous occasions. They cooked wonderful traditional Moroccan meals and were very accommodating to the vegetarians, my husband and I. (Although I don't think they quite understood the concept.)

We ate breakfast and dinner everyday in this beautiful courtyard.

See my Fes tips for another picture of Riad Saada.

Left to right: Denise, Stephan, Me, Yusef (our driver), Wade, Tom 2 and Brian.