Fez was founded in 808, and the walls that surround Fez el Bali, the oldest part, date to the 12th century. Fez reached its apogee in the 14th century, when it was the Moroccan capital and center of architecture, food and culture. In 1777, Morocco was the first country to recognize the formation of the United States of America.

Our first laugh was not far inside the medina, the Arabic word for the old part of a city, when we saw a street sign with a drawing of a donkey inside a red circle. Only donkeys and mules are allowed in the medina, Saida explained.

No scooters.                         

“Watch out if you hear someone shout ‘Balak!’” she said. “It usually means a donkey is bearing down on you.”

Sure enough, every few minutes I scooted aside to let one of these animals pass, each one loaded with items to be sold.

Seeing photos of old Fez is one thing. Being here is something else. Being here means smelling spices and cooking meat and baking bread. It means walking past a wall case of false teeth advertising a dentist’s services and surveying offerings in a warehouse of rental wedding thrones. Being here means hearing the noises of the medina, the warnings about donkeys, hawkers’ attempts to lure buyers, calls to prayer that begin with what sounds like low moans and escalate to a piercing, rhythmic cry.