Trades of the Old City

As mentioned above, the tannery is quite impressive, yet that is far from the only “industry” as it were, that makes the people of Old City, Fes stand out as those of great skill and craftsmanship. We stumbled upon a building that housed what seemed to be thousands of handmade floor and wall coverings. After being given the privilege of watching the craft in progress (three or four women on a bench nestled against a standing loom of sorts. They worked with the confidence (and speed!) of 20 plus years experience as, without pattern, they pulled, wove & tied each and every strand of the large area rug), we were then treated to an unexpected show. An explanation & history lesson came as each kind of rug was retrieved from a side room and rolled out for our approval ...and several types of each rug … and ones that matched the colors of my house (cause they asked me what those were… “just supposing I was to purchase one.”) At the end of our time they even wrote a number down on a piece of paper for our consideration …”just supposing” of course!

Another amazing art we admired can be appreciated only in part by those of us who lack the ability to successfully secure a loose button to a shirt. Embroidery is found here in great abundance, from cloth napkins and table cloths – to wall hangings. Their simple, but colorfully designs decorate their linen canvas, but hold a definite uniqueness. The embroidered items are reversible! The stitch is performed in such a way as to create the same beautiful pattern on the top as on the bottom. We learned this technique was practiced for many years, and was handed down to younger women who would take the time to study from an experienced mentor. Sadly, we have learned this is a dying art, as those who would give the needed time to learn the craft are fewer and fewer.

There are beautiful creations that I don’t know enough to tell you about – like the ornate brass plates & marble carved stone that are made before your eyes; the camel silk fabric, most often reserved for scarves and other clothing items that they weave on a two peddle loom; and the intricate, multifaceted designs painted on handmade pottery. But there is one final profession I like to share, and that is of the Baker...

Again, there are 300 different communities within the Medina, each has its own Baker. We turned the corner and were warned to duck down as we tucked into a low square door. It was a dark room with a heavenly smell. The walls were lined with fresh bread. An extreme heat emanated from a pit in the floor that opened to a long hole in the wall. Inside the pit sat a man picking up lumps of dough dropped off by those living in the community. He slipped them onto a flat paddle on the end of a long pole and slid the dough deep into the stone oven behind him. While there was bread for sale, these bakeries were also frequented daily for one’s homemade dough to be baked as part of typical life in the Medina.

There are several picture of what is described here on facebook, Enjoy them!