How to navigate Morocco’s ancient maze-like market
I’ve always been desperate to find my way anywhere – especially going out again – so I approached one of the world’s largest open-air markets with real trepidation.
The traditional medieval medina in Fez, Morocco, is as alarmingly labyrinthine as it is massive. You hear and smell it before you see it; that incomprehensible explosion of noise and intense pong heralds the horror that awaits anyone without a sense of direction.
Once you start entering there is no turning back. Covering nearly 280 hectares, the eighth-century landscape, one of the largest car-free spaces in the world, is approached by a vast labyrinth of more than 9,000 corridors just wide enough (and sometimes not wide enough) to accommodate a Western body.
Once you get into the main section, there isn’t much relief; Market traders fight for space with daily shoppers and tourists, their eyes wide open at the crowds of people squeezed next to donkeys, horse-drawn carts and wheelbarrows. And no, Google Maps doesn’t work.
Instead, most tour groups visiting the sprawling collections of markets will be instructed by their guides to walk in single file, keeping their eyes on the person in front at all times and never deviating from their formation. If someone makes a mistake and gets lost in the swamp, he is told to stay absolutely still and the guide will come back to get him.
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But while this is a surefire way to spend the night in your hotel rather than curled up in a doorway in the dark, it’s not very satisfying. You are forced to walk at everyone else’s pace, without stopping to look at the price or chat with a stallholder.
A much better solution is to hire a personal guide to guide you, stay behind when you want to look at the items on offer, and better yet, barter at your place. The savings you make on your purchases can play a significant role in covering extra expenses.
Alternatively, if you’re determined to wander around on your own, head to a specific landmark first. There are several to choose from. For example, there is the 11th-century Choura Tannery, notable for its incredibly foul smell, and even the oldest university in the world, Al-Qarawiyyin University (857 AD).
Once you’ve found any of these, or your own favorite location, allow yourself to get lost and wander aimlessly, absorbing sights both weird and wonderful, tasting some samples (sic), and chatting with the locals.
When you finally have enough money, offer one of the local teenagers a small amount of cash to get you to your destination, with the promise of a tip if successful. If this works, it might be a great idea to offer a little more to fully guide you.
And congratulate yourself: You lived a world wonder to its fullest and still showed up to tell the tale.
Sue Williams is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer, author and journalist who writes for newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations around the world.Connect via email.
