The Medina is kind of a labyrinth, full of narrow, winding, colorful passageways and friendly people.  With more than 9,000 streets, it's easy to get lost, but difficult to miss the beautiful craftsmanship and artwork draping every storefront and workshop. 

This potter is busy in his workshop creating one of the signature crafts of Fez.  The Medina is known for rich, vibrant, bright blue painted ceramics, called Fassi Pottery.  It starts with the extraction of clay from the earth around Fez.  After the wet clay is prepared and the pieces are hand-shaped on the pottery wheel, they are placed in the sun to dry.

Once dry, artists paint ceramics with traditional glazes and designs in preparation for the kiln.  Kilns are usually beehive shaped and fueled by the ground-up olive pits that remain once the oil has been removed by the local olive oil industry.  Olive pits can produce a very hot, yet relatively clean burn and are an affordable, ecologically-friendly alternative source for fuel.

These decorative tiles await their turn the kiln.

Finished fassi pottery sits in stacks on sale at the pottery workshop.  Cobalt oxide glaze and a mix of floral and geometric shapes create this distinctive Fez style.

Zellige, meaning tile in Arabic, is the art of Moroccan mosaic, a technique that has been around since the 10th century.  Seen here, zellige decorates this community water fountain.

Another craftsman at the pottery workshop begins the zellige process by forming tile blanks and laying them in the sun to dry.

The tiles are squared off, glazed, and fired in the kiln.

After the tiles are fired, these artisans chip and chisel them into small pieces that will be used to form intricate mosaic designs.  Shapes are traced on the tile blanks around a master pattern to keep project tiles consistent.  Tiles are then chipped away using a very sharp, traditional chisel called menqach, which requires a great deal of accuracy.  

In order to allow space for the plaster or glue that will hold the mosaic together, the tiles are beveled such that the back side is more narrow than the front side.

Artists assemble the zellige design in panels.  Each piece is placed face down, to ensure an even surface, starting in the center and building the pattern out.  Once the pattern is complete, the tiles are dusted with cement and lime.  To assist with adhesion between the backing and the tile pieces, water is drizzled over the tiles.  The pattern is then covered with a plaster or cement mixture.  After the zellige has set, the panel is turned over and the frame is carefully removed.  Tile faces are cleaned and allowed to continue drying.  

When covering a large area, panels are numbered and attached to the prepared surface where they will reside.  The entire floor, wall, or other surface is grouted and finalized.  

Magnificent zellige covers a variety of surfaces in Fez, from floors and walls, to stairs, pillars and benches, as evident in this mosque.

This skilled artist is one of the last remaining masters of this craft in Fez.  Known as Damascene metalwork, this distinctive art form is more commonly found in the nearby city of Meknes, Morocco.  It involves meticulously inlaying and carefully hammering thin silver thread into black metal.  This art form originated in Damascus, Syria and was refined by the Moors during their rule in Spain.  In Fez, damascene can be found on plates, animal figurines, jewelry, and other items.  

Damascene metalwork turtles.  

In the Weaver's Souk, this man uses a large, wooden loom to weave fine cactus silk into a scarf.

The Souk is home to many weavers who use the fibers derived from Agave cactus and wool to produce scarves, cloth, and carpets.  The natural Agave fibers are dyed with saffron (yellow), poppy (red), and indigo (blue) to produce a variety of colors and patterns. 

Colorful cactus silk threads and tassels line the shelves of the Souk.  

Silk scarves brighten the walls of workshops and stores.  

The famous tanneries of Fez sit in the middle of the Medina. 

They have been operating for over 900 years, making them the oldest tanneries in the world.

Through a community effort, the leather craftsmen continue to use a centuries-old technique for turning animal skins into soft leather, used to make bags, jackets, shoes, cushions, and many other decorative and useful goods. 

The traditional process begins when goat and sheep skins are first scraped and softened in stone vats full of an acidic compound made from lime and pigeon droppings.  The compound breaks down the skin and helps it to absorb dye during the next step of the process.

The hides are then moved through an array of stone vats with multicolored dyes, soaked and stirred, until the optimal shade is achieved.  Natural plant-derived colors are added to animal urine to mix the dyes.   The smell hangs heavy in the air and is hard to escape. 

Freshly dyed skins are placed in the sun to dry.  Once dry, the skins are hung over a pole while workers use tools to scrape away any excess wool or hair.  This is one of the best known artisan trades in Fez. 

While many artisans in Fez work in full view, many more work behind the closed doors and stone walls of this lively, vibrant, marvelous old city.