Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah Concept of Asabiyya (Group Solidarity) As the Driver of Historical Change Anticipated Modern Sociology by 500 Years; The Tijaniyya Sufi Order Founded in Fes in 1781 Has 100-150 Million Adherents Primarily in West Africa Making It One of the World's Largest Sufi Orders; The Fassi Bastilla Pie Combines Sweet Warqa Pastry With Savory Pigeon Meat Eggs and Almonds in the Definitive Andalusian-Moroccan Sweet-Savory Dish
Ibn Khaldun's asabiyya theory anticipating modern sociology by 500 years; the Tijaniyya Sufi order (founded Fes 1781) having 100-150 million West African adherents; bastilla pie combining sweet pastry with savory pigeon meat eggs and almonds; the seven crafts of Fes including zellij hand-cut tile mosaics; the Chouara Tannery optimal photography at 9-11am; and a complete Fes 3-day itinerary including Volubilis Roman mosaics and Meknes Bab Mansour gate.
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Ibn Khaldun - The Fassi Scholar Who Invented Sociology and the Philosophy of History
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) - the Tunisian-born, Fes-educated historian, philosopher, and social scientist who is regarded as the founder of historiography, sociology, and economics as systematic disciplines: the intellectual biography. The life (Abu Zayd Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldun al-Hadrami (1332-1406): born in Tunis into an aristocratic Arab family that had emigrated from Andalusia in the 13th century: his family had served as officials and scholars in the Hafsid court of Tunis: education (Ibn Khaldun studied Islamic jurisprudence, theology, Arabic philology, and the rational sciences in Tunis and in Fes: he was a student at the intellectual orbit of al-Qarawiyyin in Fes: the Muqaddimah (the Kitab al-Ibar (Book of Lessons) with its introductory volume the Muqaddimah (Prolegomena) (1377): Ibn Khaldun's masterwork: the Muqaddimah is a theoretical framework for understanding human civilization and historical change: the primary concepts: Asabiyya (group solidarity or social cohesion) - Ibn Khaldun's central concept: he argued that the cohesion of a social group (particularly a tribal or nomadic group) is the primary driver of political power and historical change: civilizations rise when a group with high asabiyya conquers a sedentary civilization: as the conquering group becomes urbanized and sedentary their asabiyya decays and they become vulnerable to conquest by a new group with high asabiyya: the historical cycle (Ibn Khaldun identified an approximately 3-4 generational cyclical pattern in the rise and fall of dynasties: the cyclical rise and fall of the Moroccan Berber dynasties (Almoravids, Almohads, Marinids) that he himself had observed provided the empirical basis for his theory: the universal recognition (Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah is regarded as one of the most important works in the history of social thought: his concepts anticipate modern sociology (Durkheim), economics (Keynes), and historical sociology (Weber) by 500 years).
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Fes as the Spiritual Capital of Morocco - Sufi Orders and the Moulay Idriss Shrine
Fes as the spiritual and religious capital of Morocco - the significance of the city as the center of Islamic scholarship, Sufi brotherhoods, and the shrine of the Idrisid founder: the spiritual guide. The Moulay Idriss Mausoleum (the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss I (the founder of the Moroccan Idrisid dynasty and the first Moroccan Islamic dynasty): the mausoleum is located within the Fes el-Bali medina: the mausoleum is a major pilgrimage site for Moroccan Muslims: traditionally non-Muslims were not permitted to enter the inner sanctuary: the current policy permits non-Muslims to enter the outer forecourt but not the main shrine chamber: the moussem (the annual Moussem of Moulay Idriss (the religious festival and pilgrimage held at the mausoleum each autumn): one of the most important religious events in the Moroccan calendar: the Sufi brotherhoods (Fes is the center of the primary Moroccan Sufi brotherhoods (turuq): the Tijaniyya order (the Tijaniyya Sufi order - founded in Fes in 1781 by Ahmed ibn Idris al-Tijani (born in Algeria): the Tijaniyya is the most widely diffused Sufi order in West Africa: it has approximately 100-150 million adherents in West Africa (primarily Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Cameroon) making it one of the largest Sufi orders in the world: the Tijaniyya zawiya in Fes is the global headquarters of the order and the destination of pilgrims from across West Africa: the Qadiriyya order (the other major Moroccan Sufi order with significant West African diffusion): the zawiya culture (the zawiya (the Sufi lodge and shrine) as the primary institution of Moroccan popular religious life: Fes has dozens of zawiyas dedicated to different awliya (saints) and Sufi orders).
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Fassi Cuisine - The Most Refined Regional Kitchen of Morocco
The Fassi cuisine of Fes - the most elaborate and historically refined regional culinary tradition in Morocco and one of the most sophisticated Islamic culinary traditions in the Mediterranean world: the culinary guide. The Andalusian heritage (the Fassi culinary tradition was profoundly shaped by the waves of Andalusian refugees who arrived in Fes over the centuries - particularly after 1492 (the Spanish expulsion of Muslims and Jews): the Andalusian refugees brought with them the refined culinary traditions of al-Andalus including the use of sweet-savory combinations (dried fruits with meat), rose water and citrus flavorings, complex spice blends, and the elaborate pastry tradition: the bastilla (pastilla - the signature dish of Fes: a flaky warqa pastry pie - the warqa is an extraordinarily thin pastry sheet made by dabbing a ball of wet dough repeatedly on a heated convex griddle (tabia): the bastilla filling - traditional version: shredded pigeon meat (alternatively chicken) cooked with onions, saffron, and cinnamon: the eggs (scrambled in the pigeon cooking liquid): the almonds (blanched, fried, and ground with cinnamon and sugar): the whole assembled in layers within warqa pastry, baked, and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon: the sweet-savory combination (sweet pastry with savory pigeon meat) is the definitive Andalusian-Moroccan culinary signature: the mrouzia (lamb slow-cooked with honey, almonds, raisins, ras el hanout, and saffron - a Fassi celebration dish particularly associated with Eid al-Adha: the k'dra (a Fassi tagine technique cooking chicken or lamb in a broth with preserved butter (smen), onions, and chickpeas or almonds): the m'hanncha (the snake pastry - almond paste rolled in warqa pastry into a coiled snake shape, baked, and dusted with sugar and cinnamon - the primary Fassi dessert): the smen (Moroccan preserved butter - aged clarified butter with a pungent, cheese-like flavor used in Fassi cooking as a primary fat).
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Fes Artisan Crafts - Zellige, Carved Plaster, and the Seven Crafts of the Medina
The artisan crafts of Fes - the seven traditional crafts (les sept metiers) that have defined the Fes medina as the primary center of Moroccan artisanal production for over a thousand years: the crafts guide. The seven crafts (the traditional seven crafts of Fes: the leather workers (dabbaghin - the tanneries): the potters (kharrazin - the ceramic and pottery district of Fes is the Ain Nokbi quarter outside the medina: the distinctive Fes blue pottery (blue-and-white ceramic with geometric floral designs): the metal workers (haddadin - the coppersmiths and brassworkers of the Souk al-Attarine and Souk Sbaghine areas: the weavers (nassajin - the silk weavers of the Souk al-Kattanine area: the Fes weaving tradition produces kaftans, djellabas, and the elaborate brocade (dibaj) fabrics used for caftan embroidery): the carpenters (nejjarine - the carpenters of Fes working primarily in cedarwood: cedar is abundant in the Middle Atlas mountains south of Fes: the carved cedarwood ceilings, doors, and screens of Fes mosques and madrasas are the work of the nejjarine: the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts): the zellij tile workers (zellijyyine - the makers of the hand-cut geometric tile mosaics: the zellij process: tiles are first fired in a kiln: then painted with mineral colorants: then fired again: then the skilled zellijyyi cuts the tile by hand with a small hammer and chisel into precise geometric shapes: the cut tesserae are then assembled face-down on the ground into the geometric pattern: then set in cement: the zellijyyine of Fes supply the zellij panels used in Moroccan royal palaces, mosques, and madrasas across Morocco and increasingly in luxury architecture worldwide: the embroidery (tarrazin - the Fassi embroidery (tiraz) school: the Fes embroidery tradition uses geometric and floral motifs in polychrome silk thread on linen: distinct from the Moroccan cross-stitch tradition of Azemmour and Chefchaouen).
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Fes Photography Guide - The Blue Hour, the Tanneries, and Medina Alleys
The Fes photography guide - the primary photography locations and the optimal conditions for photographing one of the world's most visually extraordinary cities: the photography guide. The tannery (the Chouara Tannery - the primary photography destination in Fes: the optimal time is mid-morning (9-11am) when the sun is high enough to illuminate the tannery floor from the terrace but not yet overhead and washing out the colors: the dye vats are most vivid when freshly filled (the colors fade as the day progresses and hides are processed): the position (the terrace of the surrounding leather goods shops is the primary viewpoint: the highest terrace gives the most comprehensive view of the tannery layout: a telephoto lens (70-200mm) allows compression of the vat pattern and isolation of individual workers: the medina alleys (the narrow alleyways of Fes el-Bali: the optimal light conditions for the alleys are in the morning (east-facing alleys lit directly) and late afternoon (west-facing alleys lit): the covered souks (the covered markets of the Souk al-Attarine, Souk al-Kattanine, and Souk Cherabliyin - the dappled light filtering through reed and bamboo roof panels creates a distinctive chiaroscuro: the Bou Inania Madrasa (the courtyard of the Bou Inania Madrasa - the optimal time is between 10am-12pm when the sunlight falls directly into the courtyard and illuminates the carved plasterwork and zellij: the rooftop terraces (the rooftop terraces of medina riads and restaurants offer panoramic views over the sea of flat rooftops and green-tiled mosque roofs: the dawn light on the medina from a rooftop is particularly spectacular with the mist in the Fes valley: the crowds (Fes is most photogenic on weekday mornings when the medina is active but not yet crowded with tourist groups: Ramadan evenings (iftar time) create extraordinary crowd scenes in the medina).
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Fes 3-Day Itinerary - The Medieval City, the University, and the Tanneries
The Fes 3-day itinerary - a structured guide to experiencing the primary sights and culture of Morocco's most complex medieval city in three days: the itinerary guide. Day 1 (Fes el-Bali - the medina core: morning: hire an official guide at the medina entrance (Bab Bou Jeloud): follow the main medina route from Bab Bou Jeloud east toward the Qarawiyyin mosque: the Bou Inania Madrasa (on the main thoroughfare near Bab Bou Jeloud): the Souk al-Attarine (the spice market adjacent to the Qarawiyyin mosque): the al-Qarawiyyin mosque exterior and forecourt (non-Muslims may not enter the prayer hall but can view the interior from the doorways): the Chouara Tannery (10-15 minutes walk northeast of the Qarawiyyin - arrive by 10am for optimal light): the Nejjarine Square and museum: afternoon: lunch at a medina restaurant (try bastilla and harira): the afternoon souks (the Souk Henna, the dyers souk, the coppersmiths souk): evening: dinner on a riad rooftop terrace overlooking the medina: Day 2 (Fes el-Jedid and the wider city: morning: the Royal Palace gates (exterior only): the Mellah (the Jewish quarter): the Ibn Danan synagogue: afternoon: the Bou Jeloud Gardens: the Dar Batha Museum (housed in a 19th century palace: the primary museum of Fassi arts and crafts: the Fes pottery collection): the potters quarter of Ain Nokbi (outside the medina - the production kilns and the Fes blue ceramic tradition): evening: the Ville Nouvelle (the French colonial new city): dinner at a Ville Nouvelle restaurant: Day 3 (Day trip to Volubilis and Meknes: taxi or shared taxi to Volubilis (80 km): 2 hours at the Roman ruins (the Decumanus Maximus, the mosaics, the triumphal arch): continue to Meknes (30 km): the Bab Mansour gate: the Heri es-Souani granaries: the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail: return to Fes by evening train or taxi).