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FEZ (Fes)
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See also:FEZ (Fes) , the See also:chief See also:city of See also:Morocco, into which See also:empire it was incorporated in 1548. It lies in 340 6' 3" N., 4° 38' 15, W., about 230 M. N.E. of See also:Marrakesh, too m. E. from the See also:Atlantic and 85 m. S. of the Mediterranean. It is beautifully situated in a deep valley on the See also:Wad Fas, an affluent of the Wad Sebu, which divides the See also:town into two parts—the See also:ancient town, Fas el See also:Bali, on the right See also:bank, and the new, Fas el Jadid, on the See also:left.
Like many other See also:Oriental cities, Fez from a distance appears a very attractive See also:place. It stretches out between See also:low hills, crowned by the ruins of ancient fortresses, and though there
is nothing imposing, there is something particularly impressive in the sight of that See also: But the assertion that the See also:supply and drainage See also:system are one is a See also:libel, since the drainage system lies below the level of the fresh river water, and was organized ,by a See also:French renegade, under Mohammed XVI., about the See also:close of the 18th See also:century. The See also:general dampness of the town renders it unhealthy, however, as the pallid faces of the inhabitants betoken, but this is considered a See also:mark of distinction and is jealously guarded. Most of the streets are exceedingly narrow, and as the houses are high and built in many cases over the thoroughfares these are often very dark and gloomy, though, since wooden beams, rough stones and See also:mortar are used in See also:building, there is less of that ruined, See also:half-decayed See also:appearance so See also:common in other Moorish towns where mud See also:concrete is the material employed. As a commercial town Fez is a See also:great See also:depot for the See also:trade of See also:Barbary and wares brought from the See also:east and south by caravans. The manufactures still carried on are those of yellow slippers of the famous Morocco See also:leather, See also:fine white woollen and See also:silk haiks, of which it is justly proud, See also:women's embroidered sashes, various coarse woollen cloths and blankets, See also:cotton and silk handkerchiefs, silk cords and braids, swords and guns, See also:saddlery, See also:brass trays, Moorish musical See also:instruments, See also:rude painted pottery and coloured tiles. Until See also:recent times the city had a See also:monopoly of the manufacture of Fez caps, for it was supposed that the dye which imparts the dull See also:crimson See also:hue of these caps could not be procured elsewhere; they are now, however, made both in See also:France and See also:Turkey. The dye is obtained from the juice of a See also:berry which grows in large quantities near the town, and is also used in the See also:dyeing of leather. Some See also:gold ornaments are made, the gold being brought from the interior by caravans which trade regularly with See also:Timbuktu. As in other capitals each trade has a See also:district or See also:street devoted chiefly to its activities. Old Fez is the business portion of the town, new Fez being occupied principally by See also:government quarters and the See also:Jews' mellah. The tradesman usually sits See also:cross-legged in a corner of his See also:shop with his goods so arranged that he can reach most of them without moving. In the See also:early days of See also:Mahommedan rule in Morocco, Fez was the seat of learning and the empire's See also:pride. Its See also:schools of See also:religion, See also:philosophy and See also:astronomy enjoyed a great reputation in See also:Africa and also in See also:southern See also:Europe, and were even attended by Christians. On the See also:expulsion of the See also:Moors from See also:Spain, refugees of all kinds flocked to Fez, and brought with them some knowledge of arts, sciences and manufactures, and thither flocked students to make use of its extensive See also:libraries. But its glories were brief, and though still " the university town " of Morocco, .it retains but a See also:shadow of its greatness. Its library, estimated by See also:Gerhard See also:Rohlfs in 1861 to contain 5000 volumes, is open on Fridays, and any See also:Moor of known respectability may See also:borrow volumes on getting an See also:order and See also:signing a See also:receipt for them. There are about 1500 students who read at the Karueein. They pay no rents, but buy the keys of the rooms from the last occupants, selling them again on leaving.
The Karueein is celebrated as the largest mosque in Africa, but it is by no means the most magnificent. On See also:account of the vast See also:area covered, the roof, supported by three See also:hundred and sixty-six pillars of See also: The mosque of Mulai Idris, built by the founder of Fez about the See also:year 81o, is considered so sacred that the streets which approach its entrance are forbidden to Jews, Christians or four-footed beasts. The sanctity of the See also:shrine in particular is esteemed very great, and this accounts for the crowds which daily See also:flock to it. The Tumiat See also:door leading to it was once very fine, but is now much faded. Opposite to it is a See also:refuge for friend-less sharifas—the See also:female descendants of Mahomet—built by Mohammed XVII. It is believed that the See also:foundation stone of Fez was laid in 8o8 by Idris II. Since then its See also:history has been chequered, as it was successfully besieged no fewer than eight times in the first five hundred years of its existence, yet only once knew See also:foreign masters, when in 1554 the See also:Turks took See also:possession of it without a See also:siege and held it for a See also:short See also:time. Fez became the chief See also:residence of the Filali See also:dynasty, who obtained possession of the town in 1649 (see further MOROCCO: History). The See also:population has been very varyingly estimated; probably the inhabitants number under one hundred thousand, even when the See also:court is in residence. See H. See also:Gaillard, Une Ville de l'See also:Islam. Fes (See also:Paris, 1905) ; C. Rene-Leclerc, " Le See also:commerce et l'industrie a Fez " in Renseignemenis See also:col. comite afrique francaise (1905). Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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