Medinas in Morocco

In a number of cities, the oldest part of town is a walled fortification called a medina. Medinas have narrow, twisting “roads” which were designed to confuse and slow invaders. You can’t help but get lost in a medina; it’s part of the charm. This is an overview of the medina in the city of Fes. This medina, from the 9th Century, was my favorite part of the trip.

Most of the medinas have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Despite the tourists, preservation societies, and media coverage, life in the medinas is much like it was a thousand years ago.
You never know what you will see in a medina. Here, a man carries his “groceries” through the streets.

A medina resident takes his bread to the community oven for baking.

Musicians in the medina.

A square within the medina.

Some medina streets are jammed with people. Others are nearly deserted.