Fez is a must-see city-museum. Swarming and colorful, it offers astonishing scenery, such as the medina of Fez el-Bali, one of the largest medieval cities in the world.
The city of Fez is divided into three parts: Fez el-Jedid (the half-old) and Fez el-Bali (the old) which form the medina, and Fez the young (new city) built by the French at the time of the protectorate and where the administrative district is located.
To have an overall view of the city, the best is to go to the heights overlooking the city. To do this, take the road of the tower of Fez, which starts from the Hassan II avenue (the main artery of the new city) and ends on the hill of El
Kolla where the necropolis of the Merinids (XIVth) is located.
The Medina is not only a historical center reserved for bazaars and tourists, but it is also an important economic center. Fez is one of the most important economic cities in the Kingdom, notably the second largest industrial city, yet a large part of its economic activities are concentrated in the Medina.
These are mainly related to the art industry. One can quote as the main branch of this craft industry, carpentry with wood carving and painting, wrought iron, chiseled copper, goldsmith's trade, ceramics, silk weaving, and embroidery.
All these crafts are practiced in tiny workshops or stalls. The craftsmen use, for the most part, obsolete equipment.
As far as the ceramists' guild is concerned, it can be seen that many workshops no longer make any effort in the manufacture of their glazes and the care to be taken during firing. On the one hand, the pilot workshop formula adopted at one time by the administration has allowed the craftsmen to preserve their know-how and improve their production. On the other hand, the size of the royal orders in recent decades has led to the prosperity of certain sectors, particularly that of architectural decoration craftsmanship.
We are currently witnessing a monopoly of markets and distribution channels among a minority.
Many craftsmen are finding it increasingly difficult to access the market and to have the opportunities (material and financial) to produce better. The question that arises is: how to save this cultural heritage with this socio-economic dynamism?
