morocco again29 fes stroll through medina1

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The Bab Bou Jeloud is a gate that leads to the old medina, Fes el Bali. Surrounded by high walls, the Pasha Baghdadi square connects the medina with Fez el-Jedid. On one side of the square, you can make out the Bab Bou Jeloud, a beautiful monumental gate built in 1913 and the main entrance to Fez el-Bali.

The Bab Bou Jeloud and the minaret of Bou Inania medersa

Locals use donkeys and hand carts to carry impossibly tall loads along dimly lit tunnels and cobblestone avenuesRule No. 1 is to step aside when you hear "Balak!" It means there's a heavily laden handcart or mule bearing down on you

Fes el Bali is the oldest walled part of Fes. Fes el Bali was originally founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. With a total population of 156,000, is believed to be the biggest car-free urban area in the world

Pasha Baghdadi square

Three types of urban heritage will be discovered here: a public esplanade, a monumental gate, and a building of the original Fez water supply network. Place Boujloud is an esplanade that once hosted storytellers, snake charmers and other entertainments.Gate was built only at the beginning of the 20th century (1913). Its ornamentations are blue on the exterior façade and green on the interior one. The ancient water distributor was developed in the 11th century. Since the 11th century mosques, madrasahs, fondouks (inns) hammams, fountains, and most of the wealthy homes in Fez had access to running water

Green delicate arabesque and knot work ornamentations on the interior facade

UNESCO listed Fes el Bali as a world heritage site in 1981 under the name Medina of Fez

The world heritage site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls as well as a buffer zone outside of the walls that is intended to preserve the visual integrity of the location

Cumin: Cuminum cyminum, called in Morocco Kamun (Kamoun), is one of the most used spices in Moroccan cuisineThe ancient Greeks kept cumin at the dining table in its own container (much as pepper is frequently kept today), and this practice continues in Morocco

 The Medina of Fez is considered

as one of the most extensive

and best conserved

historic towns of the Arab-Muslim

world

Amira Lalla Aicha-School in Old Fes

The souq (or "souk") is an area in which artisans live, work,

and sell their goods

Arabic is the official language,

but you'll also hear French,

Spanish, Berber and various

dialects

Nursery school in medina

The flag of Morocco is made of a red field with a black-bordered green pentagram.

 The red background on

the Moroccan flag represents hardiness,

bravery, strength and valour, while

the green represents love, joy, and hope, it also represents

the color of Islam, whereas the five-

pointed star represents the seal of Solomon

Balak!!!

the sprawling, labyrinthine

medina of Fes el-Bali, which is

incidentally also the world's

largest car-free urban zone

Sound: Hamid Zahir - Lil Lil Ya Sidi Aamara 2016

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Sanda Negruțiu Internet slide45Copyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuhttps://plus.google.com/+SandaMichaela