What in the world is a medina? You may have heard about Medina, the city in Saudi Arabia where the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad lies. That Medina figures large in the early history of Islam. Did you know, however that it is also the design of many of the ancient cities across North Africa that speaks of the footprint of the advance of Islam across this region in the 7th century? The last posting was a picture of the medina in Fez from atop a local hill. That was the big picture. I'd like to tell you today a little about what the medina looks like from inside and just a few pieces that make up the infrastructure, layout and culture. It is a significant aspect of this culture from which many of our focus friends come.
As I stepped into this medina in Fez last week it was apparent that I was also stepping back many centuries in time. Walking down the narrow streets and alleys we jostled with slower pedestrians and various sorts of “animal taxis,” carrying the goods for local stores to sell or shipping out artisan crafts made at one of the many hubs of traditional crafts that dot this particular medina. It was truly amazing, and fascinating. My colleague, Ken suggested we not get lost. You cannot see any major landscape on the horizon to give orientation because there is no horizon to be seen deep in the walls of this city. We did have a plan B however, in the event of such a misfortune of getting lost! He said, “just follow the major flow of a stream of people, they will probably lead you to a major gate!” This was not a terribly comforting thought so even though I hung back at times to take pictures, I did not let the next person in front of me in our party out of sight!
Medina literally means “town” in Arabic. Most medinas across North Africa have the same design. They consist of densely packed urban hubs enclosed within defensive walls. The tangle of narrow roads and winding alleyways turns the medina into a maze or labyrinth. The city is sliced up into sections by a few major roads bisecting the city but, as a defensive measure, are either closed off at certain points by projecting walls or angled in new directions to confuse and slow the advance of any invaders.
Within the larger medina, which in the case of Fez numbers about 300,000 inhabitants, you will find smaller sections or quarters. These are like small “neighborhoods” that include a communal oven, a hammam (steam bath), a madrasa or Koranic school, and a grocer’s shop. Here you will find the basic necessities of life but not much more—vegetables, fruit, oil, coal, sugar, spices and other foods. Somewhere in the center of the medina you will also find the principal mosque that is the focus of the entire community. In the case of Fez, our tour guide told us that there were 350 mosques in the medina.
Well, this is probably enough for our history lesson today. Next I will tell you a bit about the famous tannery in Fez. Below are some links with more interesting information about Fez. Enjoy. By the way, how could I forget. Pray for Nate, our young colleague who we left in language school in Fez. He is living with a family and really going for it. Pray for his learning and sense of God's presence with him each step of the way.
