Fez - the oldest of the imperial cities of Morocco

• Fez - the oldest of the imperial cities of Morocco

This is a story about our trip to Fez - the oldest of the four imperial cities of the country. It was in Fez has every chance to plunge into the Middle Ages, the Maghreb and experience for yourself its charms and terrors.

By world standards it is a small town - a little less than a million inhabitants. But here's the "one million", consisting mainly of the Medina - this world is no more.

This is a real anthill, where life has not changed for the last 300 years.

In the Fez medina already 2 - old and new. More than 1000 years old and the new - only 700. Walk along the old, it is interesting.

The streets here are so narrow that donkeys have become the main mode of transport - the car corny stuck between the wall and the motor is too smelly.

We park the car at the house - fesstsy park donkeys. To asses it was very boring, they park next to the trash, where they were entertained by the cats.

have inputs from the modern city of Medina in the car park. Then - on foot or on a donkey Well, as you prefer.

Parking the local "taxi". Donkeys can be rented for the transportation of goods or herself. If you believe the pictures, dressed with local taxi cardboard.

Medina - a place of self-sufficiency. It is divided into districts, and in each there is a mosque, a hammam, all the necessary shops, hair salons and so on. D. All so localized, because a lot of the elderly and the disabled, who find it difficult to move around. Here comes the whole social life.

Well, it's the local "Crossroads." More precisely - "ABC taste" as the bird and the cochlea - expensive by local standards of pleasure.

What to do with snails? This is the main local delicacy! They are cooked in anise broth and sell bowls. Required attribute - a toothpick or a common pin. Without it, a snail is not removed from the "house".

Morocco - a country of cats. Local love them and cherish.

In the medina you can just walk for hours, sometimes bumping into interesting monuments. This madrasa closed, but for a couple of dirhams guard will let you inside (and himself at the same time he will flee immediately spend the most dirhams).

The most severe impression of the medina - of course tanning workshops. In his first visit to the city, I did not get to him ... and I do not regret. I have not felt such a stink!

The skin is soaked in bird faeces and other "natural shit", making for kilometers worth around terrible smell.

People are working with their bare hands, inhaling the stench every day. employee century there is short - no one's health is not withstand such abuse.

Moroccans terribly proud of their leather goods. To be honest, a rare crap they do. Though natural.

But here it turns a beautiful shot

Work anywhere manual. Even tanned leather wear in workshops on their backs.

Conveniently, there are no high buildings in the medina. Suffice it to climb 2-3 floor and immediately see where you are. But to get lost in it very easily ... in his first visit here, I lost more than 3 hours.

Gate - the boundary between the medina and the modern (relatively) city. On the border - a tourist paradise with restaurants and shops with souvenirs. Rare visitors climb inside, they are afraid.

And here is the "modern" city. It is not the most life-affirming spectacle ...

The medieval walls are many centuries and still serve as a support and a plurality of walls of houses.

Leaving the medina, the city is most convenient to further study of the coach. Authentic, inexpensive, and have time to take pictures.

And still frames funny face. This tower - part of the university complex Al-Kairouan. It is the oldest continuously operating university in the world! Open already in the 9th century.

Fusion Moroccan cities amazes me always. Right - medieval walls, on the left - an expensive modern area.

This is the new medina and the palace of the Emir. It is far less interesting than the old one.

Oddly Arab city, a new medina was almost all inhabited by Jews. But in recent years, most of them emigrated to Israel.

Jews and Muslims get along wonderfully in Morocco. Their houses are easily distinguished on the balconies - balconies open Jews (as in Europe), and Muslims - closed to women sitting inside nobody saw.

Morocco - Kingdom. Royal Palaces is strictly forbidden to take pictures! That's just pictured the royal palace.

What I have always been struck in Africa - it's rubbish. He is always and everywhere around. Picnic with garbage around - please.

Close the gas station - now I can do the trash!

If the trash can just throw out the window, why pay more? And is there everywhere

Of course, there is the European part of the city with McDonalds and the police, but he lives less than a third of the city population.

In the vicinity of the city cleaner, and far more picturesque views.

Soon the sheep turn into couscous, tagine or kebab. Not a bad fate.

Feature like Fez medieval towns - could almost constant over them. In Medina have gas and water, the smoke from the centers on the wood obscures all surroundings.