Fes Walking Tour Part 2: Visiting the Famous Fes Pottery Studio

Destination Morocco Podcast

Azdean and his local Fes guide extraordinaire, Moulay Hafid Alami, conclude their tour of the old city with a visit to the pottery and ceramic studio, "Mosaique et Poterie de Fes."
Located just to the east of the medina, this is more than a simple shop selling their beautiful craftwork (and there is a lot of it!). When you arrive, you get a guided tour of the facility, starting with handling the raw clay itself, learning how it's shaped, dried and fired, then glazed and decorated.
In our episode today, Azdean is taking this very tour, and you'll hear all the explanations, combined with the sounds of patting down clay, opening the kiln door, chiseling delicate vases and more.
Listen in to learn why Fes is such an important and influential artistic centre, not just to Morocco, but worldwide. We visit the kiln and learn about the firing process, the particular wood used, and a special natural ingredient added to the kiln.
Zalish mosaic tiles, famous around the world, are produced right here in this studio. Zalish is the root of the Portuguese word "Azulejo," the famous blue tiles, meaning "polished stone" in Arabic.
We learn more about funduqs (such as the converted Nejjarine Museum), the unique former accommodation for traders in Fes, and then we end the tour with a quick stop back in the medina, at the al-Karouyin University, the world's oldest.

You can view this special Google Map to find out the exact location of all our stops in Parts 1 and 2 of the Fes tour.
And don't forget, all our episodes have transcripts, which can help to make sense of some of the accents and place names. Apple users with the latest update should see the transcript on their phones. Or, you can visit the episode page below to follow along with the .pdf file:
Fes Walking Tour Part 2: Visiting the Famous Fes Pottery Studio
Thank you for joining us during this past month of celebrating the magical city of Fes, Morocco. As Azdean says, if there is one place in the country you should visit, it's right here, and we hope this series has given you inspiration and momentum to book your trip!
Music credits:
Mike Franklyn / Scorpion Dance / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
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فصل ها

1. Welcome to the Art School of Ceramics and Pottery (00:00:00)

2. Discovering the Unique Gray Clay of Fes (00:01:03)

3. The Journey of Becoming a Master Craftsman (00:02:07)

4. Exploring the Clay Preparation Process (00:02:56)

5. Witnessing the Art of Pottery Making (00:06:37)

6. Understanding the Firing and Glazing Process (00:10:16)

7. The World of Mosaic and Zalish (00:11:53)

8. The Art of Fes Engraved Pottery (00:13:00)

9. The Art of Chiseling: A Master's Patience (00:13:37)

10. Berber Silver: Tradition Meets Craftsmanship (00:14:47)

11. Cultural Heritage: The Jewish Influence in Moroccan Art (00:16:02)

12. Ensuring Authenticity: The Fight Against Imitations (00:17:27)

13. Global Reach: Moroccan Artwork on the World Stage (00:23:54)

14. (Transition) The Oldest University in the World: A Legacy of Learning (00:25:55)