Shiny Products at the Metal Works Souk in Fès
I was quite disappointed that I could not enter the University of al-Qarawiyyin. It is only open to Muslims thus, I wasn’t able to find out what is inside what is dubbed the oldest university in the world. It also has the oldest library in the world but that would be out of reach for now, unless there is a major change in culture. The university is probably the single most significant place here in Fès but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other places which are interesting. In fact, the markets themselves are full of activity. I happened to stumble into another one of these specialty markets or souks called Place Seffarine. This one was rather different from the others that I have seen.
Inside the Metal Works Souk in Fès
Instead of a souk selling spices or cloth, this is a souk which sells metal stuff. Think of metal pots and pans, metal candle holders, trays, lamps, they are sold here. Of course, there are artisans who specialize in producing things like these. Thinking about it is pretty amazing in an age where practically everything is made by machines. The air has a different smell about it. It smells metal, I try not to think that it is metal dust that I am smelling here. The skill there goes into crafting these items is really incredible. It has been like this for hundreds of years. I see a lot of stuff that I would want to bring back but I don’t have space in my luggage for these things.
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