Fifth Journey Day 182: The Gate Within Dust

Date: November 6, 2025
Location: Fès, Morocco

Today in Fès, Morocco, the city’s old medina unfurled its long tradition of craft—coppersmiths, ceramicists, and tanneries—like a living workshop. Warm, dry air carried notes of dye, mint, and earth through narrow lanes where sound and color layer like glaze over clay.

The Atmosphere of Khareef

The morning started with the sound of metal hitting metal. From my window, I could see a man hammering copper into shallow bowls. He worked with steady, smooth movements, like a slow heartbeat. I followed the sound until it became part of the crowd — people calling, carts rolling, the sound of sandals on stone. The air felt thick and full of different textures. It was a mix of sunlight, smoke, and the smell of orange peel.

Quiet Moments at a Tea Stall

One of the artisans offered me a small cup of tea. The glass was stained from being used for years, and its rim was slightly chipped, but it felt stable in my hand. As I drank, I noticed how the glaze on the drying bowls caught the light — pale green fading into ochre, like water settling over sand. It reminded me of painting because it combines surface and depth.

The Scent of Frankincense

On my walk back, I passed through a street with a lot of leather shops. The smell was sharp, almost like metal, but the colors — deep reds, soft blues, and light browns — made it less strong. Fès has many layers, and it's hard to describe. Every sound and texture seems to carry memory, as if the city has been touched by too many people to be clean.

Choosing Stillness Over Sketching

I spent two hours in a ceramics workshop near Ain Nokbi. The building was plain from the outside. It was beige with a small wooden door. But inside, it opened into a quiet courtyard where light fell unevenly across shelves of unfinished clay. The potters worked slowly. They moved in circles, feeling confident and in control. I didn't say much. I watched their hands shape the air as much as the clay.

A City in Sync with Rain

My fingers still smell a little of clay.

Travel Notes

• Weather: Warm and dry, around 24°C in the afternoon; close air without heaviness, moving with hints of earth, dye, and mint.
• Scents: Sun-warmed clay, orange peel, smoke from small fires, sharp leather and tannery notes, mint from tea.
• Sounds: Metal on metal from coppersmiths, voices calling across alleys, carts rolling, sandals tapping stone.
• Reflection: Glaze catching light like water settling over sand; textures and colors layering until the city feels held together by memory.

Continue the Journey

You may also enjoy wandering through another Fès memory in Fragrant Constellations, or follow the thread of Morocco’s coast in Whispers in the Wind.