The 660-Year-Old House

We’ve decided to take in the sights, and what better sight to take in than the farthest-flung outpost of the Roman Empire in nearby Volobilis. Just as we’re figuring out the grand taxi that will take us the two-hour drive to the ruins, we get a call from David Amster, an American living in Fez whom we’d emailed yesterday. David is the director of the Centre Americain, has lived in Fez for nearly 10 years, has bought and restored several houses in the Medina, and keeps a website about it all. In short, if you’re thinking about buying a house here, he’s the guy to talk to. Scrap go the plans to see Volobulis – the ruins aren’t going anywhere – replaced with a lunch meeting with David, who generously offers us plenty of advice.

After lunch, David introduces us to a couple from New York who bought a large house three years ago and use it as a vacation spot. David and Anita are at the end of a three-week stint here and are interested in renting out their Dar (a house with a central courtyard, but no trees therein) for a few months – perfect while we’re house hunting. The house is quite grand, if a bit ornate. When they proudly point out the plaster work with the date 1346 carved into it, I manage to bite my tongue; our guide Hicham yesterday explained that it was only under French colonial rule that Morocco switched to the Gregorian Calendar. In the old Islamic Calendar, it is currently 1426; David and Anita’s plasterwork is 80 rather than 660 years old.

I should point out for the record that thinking about buying a riad is not the same as actually doing it, and we could still easily rent a place instead. Back in Los Angeles, we spent a year and a half going to open houses before we bought one. That said, this has been the direction our minds have been heading, fueled by an assortment of unsubstantiated rumors.




Have I forgotten to point out some of the differences between Marrakech and Fez? First, the topography: While Marrakech is quite flat, the medina in Fez sprawls down a hillside, meaning that from most rooftops, you get wonderful views of the surrounding hills and assorted landmarks. The architecture is notably different as well. The 10-12 foot ceilings we found in Marrakech have given way to 18-22 foot ceilings here. There’s a level of ornate carved plaster, exquisite woodwork, and the zellij mosaic tile-work that is unlike anything we’d seen in Marrakech. Setting aside the preoccupations of people looking to buy a house, we notice other things as well, like people seem to walk down the left side of the street rather than the right. That the polite tapping of the chest made as a gesture of thanks or regret is much less common here, that the men dress much more Western, wearing jeans and Armani T-shirts. And, of course, the ubiquitous push carts of the Marrakech medina, which are used to transport baggage, groceries, etc. into the heart of the place from the various “gates” or Babs, have been replaced by donkeys. There’s even a donkey stand with the miserable beasts lined up for hire like so many New York cabs.