Some samples of incredible hand embroidery dates back to the early 18th century, but women started this time-consuming occupation long before. As a tradition many centuries ago, women used to decorate their hands and feet with henna for special occasions, such as a wedding ceremony. The Berber tribes still use permanent tattoo symbols. Later this very decoration had been transferred onto pottery and then as hand embroidery, which became a big part of tradition.
The newborn baby often gets beautiful embroidered pillowcase, cover & sheet. A girl's dowry, which consisted of embroideries, could easily take a generation to build up. The embroidery could contain many pieces, which on her wedding day was carried to the bride's house with musicians. Before the wedding the bride-to-be would be accompanied to the hamam wearing partly embroidered clothes, such as the sleeves, belt, veil, and even her under garment, as well as a shall to carry a change of clothes, all embroidered. There were specially embroidered pieces for the henna ceremony. The fine wedding sheet made of Crepes De Chine, which was brilliantly embroidered in the ends, would later be shown to everyone at the party, to prove the virginity of the bride. The dowry was displayed at the wedding such as curtains, bedcovers, tablecloths, etc...to show the wealth of the family, and for everyone to admire the wonderful and skillful work. Sometimes the family rented out especially magnificent pieces.
Influenced by the Andaluce, cities in the north of Morocco, like Tetouan, Chaoen, Meknes, Rabat, Salé, Zemmour, and Fez are all known for their unique way of embroidery style, technique, colors, and fabric. Women from Tafilal, in the south of Morocco, Berber Jews, mainly made fantastic embroidered clothes. The fabulous wedding curtains (2 meters by 3.5 meters) from Rabat, usually very fine, transparent fabric, with floral design, where upon it a pattern was first made. The stitches are the same on both sides. This curtain gives most incredible shadow effect on the wall as the light hits it.
Fez embroidery is likely to be the most celebrated of them all. Easy to identify because of its highly graphic and geometric design, the triangle represents the eye, but may also symbolize the female sex if there are other triangles in each corner. The hand of Fatima is also embroidered for protection against evil eye.
Using natural dye, most commonly deep red, indigo blue, and black silk, is embroidered monochrome onto white cotton. Other colors such as purple, shades of brown, yellow, and green are also used. Beforehand Fez embroidery has no pattern whatsoever transferred or drawn onto the actual fabric, contrary to other embroideries. Its measured stitches are very small, only a few millimeters. The women simply count each thread; one stitch spans two to four threads of the fabric. The fabric usually 80cm wide and 2 meters long are stretched on a special loom, then rolled up so the women actually only see the part which she works on. Embroidering horizontally, vertically or diagonally, leaving blanks to combine the desired design. This is an extremely time-consuming technique, which requires mathematical precision and a lot of concentration and patience. There is no reverse side. Usually the women first see the outcome when they are finished all the intricate work, sometimes after several years. Family, friends, and neighbors, are then invited to a big tea party to admire the embroidered piece.
Small girls were taught the art of embroidery at special small school workshops. The teacher, the maalma, would keep all the work as her commission for free training. Clients would come to order new embroideries, or have their old ones restored. In the early 20th century, when the tradition was still strong, more than 2 thousand women were teaching or having workshops in Fez alone. The bourgeoisie families would buy cotton fabric; silk from the Orient, and special looms, so their daughters could practice the skills and art they learned from the maalma at home. The pieces they produced were usually squared and rectangular, consisting of one or several parts, such as pillowcases and bedspreads.
During the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, they began using chemical colors for the silk thread, with very few exceptions. Not one embroidered piece is the alike. They are all unique; a piece of art. Each individual would show her own creative skills, sense, and choice of color. In the harems, women from other countries would certainly influence the women with their style and technique. Unfortunately today, very few women are practicing the art of hand embroidery, and even if Gatsby has tried to found one, there are no Harem left in Fez... Many articles are now machine embroidered, so we must treasure what is left and what used to be a fabulous tradition.
One of the highlights of your stay in Fez will be for sure the infamous Fez Tanneries. If Morocco is famous for its leather goods, it owes its reputation to the young men who work in tanneries like this one, using the same methods today that were used centuries before. The secret ingredients for a perfect dying are quite evident once you smell a peculiar perfume in the air. While most of the bazaars will provide you with some mint to avoid the smell, Gatsby always prefers its own handkerchief with some drops of Serge Lutens 'cedre'.
There are many tanneries in Fez, but the most famous are the ones located near the Karaouine mosque, the chouara tanneurs. They are really impressing and make a very good photo, so good in fact that Gatsby once used it as a setting for a catalogue of a well known spanish fashion brand.
From above the view of the men stamping the skins in the circles of color, or spreading out the vivid, yellow saffron dye, is fascinating. A walk at ground level will be something quite different altogether as you come face to face with knife wielding workers softening the leather and get a whole new perspective on hard work.
Visitors can climb to any one of the terraces belonging to the surrounding leather shops that look down on the tanners' yard, honeycombed with vats of dye and piled with skins.
Afterwards you can visit any number of leather shops and see for yourself the product of such hard work, and you'll be smoothly invited to buy, and maybe you should, because the quality of the products is often excellent and a real bargain.
B. Palais Jamai - Bab Guissa
C. Bab Ftouh - R'Cif
D.Tour de Fes
Well, now, just in case you dont like walking or you are not too fit for it, we can suggest a Tour by car that any taxi will be happy to do.
First Sex-Shop to Open in Fez?
Video Production Company Barcelona Casablanca
Marjane My Love, Fez Supermarket
Just relax, Hammam Time
Selling Your Girlfriend in Fez
Fez Nightlife
De Cama en Cama by Alessandro Ferrando, Literature
Fes Fashion Day
Hotesses Accueil et Personnel Evenements au Maroc BEST AGENCE
Fes Festival of Sacred Music 2012
Follow Us