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Medina in Morocco

What is a medina? According to my guide book a Medina is the “historic old city of which Morocco has many”. Of the half dozen that I encountered on my trip, all had city walls with highly ornamental gates or doors which in the past served to seal off the inhabitants from intruders. Now the ramparts delineate old town from new town, perhaps serving to protect the residents from the onslaught of tourist hordes!

The heart of every Medina is the mosque which is always surrounded by four essential communal elements:

Call to Prayer taken from my balcony at the Maison Arabe. The call to prayer marks the Muslims day in a very similar manner to hours of the day in a Catholic monastery.

The bakery - While western style bakeries that sell baked bread, pastries and cakes are prevalent, the traditional bakery is where residents bring their bread and vegetables to be baked and roasted in a large wood fire by a baker.

The hamman - public bath house with steam rooms and exfoliation.

The Quranic school - neighborhood school affiliated with the mosque where children 4-14 are instructed in the Qu’an.

The fountain - where residents come to get their water for all their household needs.

Other features such as houses with front doors that lead frequently into an interior courtyard garden with fountains and formal beds with citrus, date and olive trees for family consumption.

Leaving the sanctuary of home, local bazaars, souks, conveniently offer a dizzy array of wares, food stalls, and ateliers which cater to the locals and tourists alike. Just beyond the city walls the “laundromat” by the outdoor stream and the cemetery can be found.

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