Fancy Wooden Door in Fès
I would like to think that I have gained some experience in exploring ancient medinas by going to the ones in Tangier and the one in Chefchaoen. Both have these same maze-like streets where one wrong turn would lead you in a totally different place. A lot of these streets look identical so it is difficult to remember any landmarks you may want to rely on. Additionally, no Google Map car would be able to enter this place so the maps see online are pretty much useless, that is if you can even get a fix on GPS in the first place because the walls of the medina are so tall and the streets so narrow. I took my experience finding Dar El Yasmine as an example where I got lost just looking for the place when I already passed it by twice. Maybe I just have a very poor sense of direction but I think a lot of people would agree with me that maybe getting lost in the medina is an experience onto itself.
Random Alley in Fès
What medinas like Fès lacks is proper signage. After all, it is an ancient commercial center to begin with, why would they need signs for tourists. The point is to get lost and see more of the place even if you go around in circles. There are actually a few signs that may potentially guide you. These are signs which point you to major gates like the Bab Bou Jeloud or the Bab Rcif. In my experience, the signs don’t really do a good job since they would disappear and you won’t know if your are going the right way anymore. I would try to use Google Maps to help give me the general direction of the place I need to go to and just play it by ear.
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