Founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fes reached its height in the 14th centruries under Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom of Morocco.

The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina where I was born - madrassas, foundouks - date from this period. The medina of Fes is indeed big! It's the largest and the oldest medieval in the world. The medina is huge like a maze and one should be accompanied by a guide, or so said my friends from Birmingham who are artists and like to do some painting work about Fes, its design, its people, its colours and its activities. My friends are totally right, even I was born here in the medina, I got lost many times when I used to go to the school because I tried to change the way that my father taught me...we were very hungry and I remember a small restaurant in a house in the heart of the medina in Al Asshabine At Haj Benkiran.

We had very nice fessi food: Vegetarian, chicken, kefta tajine, kebab magdour - it was delicious and the taste took me 40 years back...it's a magic place, nothing has been changed really. Narrow streets, toothless, grinning old men - a real adventure. I can see many English people who bought their beautiful houses and amazing riads and prefer to live here without stress with the local warm and friendly people in a real tolerance and multicultural atmosphere.

From the train station in the city centre of Fes, you take a red petit taxi and ask the driver to drop you in Jamii Palace Hotel that you have to visit also for its beauty and colourful design and you can ask there for a professional guide.
For any question or help please feel free to drop me an email from the website www.myasilah.com or call me on my mobile 00447951478813. I will be only too happy to help.

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The dress code in Fes is far stricter than Marrakech. In a week we saw one person in shorts, regrettably an Englishman.

In Marrakech we saw topless bathers at a hotel pool: an affront to Muslims we thought.

Photography is difficult. Buy something trivial in Fes and, and josh in French and you'll be allowed: in Marrakech it's money, money all the time.

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The medina is still split into sectors of interdependent activity. One street is nothing but knife-grinders who sharpen knives for the next street, which is full of babouche (slipper) makers.

A hammering will lead you to a courtyard where gigantic tureens are made for weddings. In some streets you will see braid being made. Men also perform kaftan embroidery.

Unlike Marrakech, the Fes medina has no mopeds or vehicles, just mules carrying anything from gas bottles to wet sheepskins, and with a cry of Balek! (Arabic for 'get out of the way', the mules wear rubber soles for grip so you don't hear them).

In the tannery you are right back in the middle ages, where you can see, and more importantly smell, the entire process of flensing to washing to dyeing. The skins are cured with dog and pigeon poo amongst many other revolting things.

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Having been well warned by everyone not to use unofficial guides, we were supplied with Raschid to show us the historic sites, with no shops. He took us to a museum, and left us; then into 3 ancient buildings, all of which were shops! That was it for £20!

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