Fez, the most ancient of the imperial cities, is a surreal place to visit where time stood still since the Middle Ages giving the visitor the impression of being suspended somewhere between the past and the present. The colours, the smells, the clothes and life in the medina are the same as they were hundreds of years ago and electricity and tourists are the only signs of the modern world. Like other Moroccan cities Fez consists of an old part, the medina, and a modern city built by the French. The medina is divided into two parts: Old Fez (Fez el Bali) and New Fez (Fez el Djedid) that was built by the Merenide Dynasty during the 13th century. The latter is surrounded by the royal palaces and gardens with a linear and tidy structure, but it is Old Fez to attract the majority of tourists wandering the messy streets looking for the covered markets (souks) and the monuments. The mosques, the souks, the fondouks and madrases, old student houses dating back to the Middle Ages, are enough to keep tourists busy at least for 3 or 4 days and even after that it will be difficult not get lost in this labyrinth. Many people prefer to visit the medina with the help of a guide, in which case there are plenty to chose from: some are official, recognizable from the gold medallion they carry on their chest, and other unofficial; beware of fake guides as there are plenty of people out there trying to trick tourists taking advantage of them by charging more money and in some cases even rob them. Unofficial guides are not necessarily dubious, some of them are genuine well intentioned students; in any case it is advisable to establish the length of the tour, the price and the monuments to visit by circling them on the map. Guides will also try to get tourists into shop as they will get a commission on the goods purchased for which the tourist pays on top and official guides are the worst for this as their commission can be as high as 40 per cent of the value. However visiting Fez el Bali without a guide is somewhat more exciting, wondering the streets and finding the monuments you had been looking for suddenly appearing in front of you is priceless. You can spend hours wandering around the tiny little markets that sell absolutely everything and suddenly find a nice traditional café or typical restaurant where to enjoy a local meal. The restaurants in Fez el Bali only serve lunch, if they are already difficult to find in the daylight, it would be almost impossible at night.
To buy handicraft products in the markets could be a fun affair, it is important to have a good sense of humour and to know how much you intend to pay, to come to a price agreement can be a long process including various techniques from initial shouting, laughing at the ridiculous price suggested to tea offering. You needn’t be shy and good bartering skills will be useful!