The Labyrinth of Craft: Inside the World’s Largest Car-Free Medieval Medina in Fez
Navigating 9,000 alleyways, the ancient Chouara tanneries, and copper artisan souks in Morocco’s cultural capital.
Expeditions & Adventure Editor
Stepping through the ornate blue-tiled Bab Bou Jeloud gate into Fez el-Bali is like passing through a portal into the 11th century. Containing over 9,000 narrow alleyways, 300 mosques, and zero vehicular traffic, Fez el-Bali is the largest contiguous car-free urban area on the planet.
Donkeys laden with leather hides, olive barrels, and brass lanterns still serve as the primary freight transport, accompanied by the drivers’ classic shout of “Balak! Balak!” (make way!).
The Pungent Theater of Chouara Tannery
Dating back to the 11th century, the Chouara Tannery remains one of Fez’s most iconic sights. From rooftop terraces overlooking the central courtyard, visitors gaze down upon hundreds of stone pits filled with natural dyes and solutions.
Master tanners stand waist-deep in vats containing pigeon droppings (used for ammonia softening), limestone, and natural organic pigments: yellow from saffron, red from poppy flowers, brown from cedar wood, and blue from wild indigo. The manual methods practiced here have remained identical for nearly a thousand years.
Staff AuthorShivam is an alpine trekker, expedition photographer, and wilderness specialist who has traversed glacial passes in Patagonia, high routes across the Karakoram, and desert traverses in the Arabian Peninsula. He writes extensively on backcountry logistics and sustainable mountaineering.
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