A Fès souk lined with pierced brass lanterns, a studded archway, and people moving through the alley in the lattice shadow of a mashrabiya

Morocco

Spirit of Fès

a luminous journey through the ancient medina's shadowed alleys, intricate mosaics, and the enduring, unhurried dignity of its master artisans.

Awards

International Photography Awards (IPA) - Finalist, Street Photography

The series

Spirit of Fès

Fès el-Bali seen from the hills, packed wall to wall

A shaft of light in the covered souk, and a man pausing in it

A weaver at the loom, threads drawn tight by hand

An old plane tree, a resting vendor, and the ceramics of the Fassi

Rugs hung in the alley, a dark doorway behind

Zellige tilework and a lion-head fountain

The medina at blue hour, minarets lit against a burning sky

A weathered facade in the Fès medina: Moorish stucco carvings, a studded wooden door, and a zellige mosaic arch beside modern patio chairs

A woman in a white robe and headscarf walking through a grand carved wooden doorway, framed by brick walls and trees and an ornate iron gate

A musician in red robes and a kufi cap playing a zurna, smiling, against a sun-drenched textured plaster wall

A narrow, paved alley inside a traditional riad, framed by palm fronds, a verdant garden on the left and a smooth beige tadelakt wall on the right

A view down a narrow covered derb in the Fès medina, textured sun-bleached earthen walls and a dark wooden overhead beam leading to a sunlit courtyard

Hand-hammered copper cookware hanging on a weathered red wooden door frame in a Fès coppersmith workshop, a cluttered shelf of tools and a peeling wall behind

A sun-drenched narrow alley in the Fès medina, a man in a green fez and a woman in a dark coat walking away, two children by a doorway with a soccer ball at their feet and a carved wooden balcony above

On the series

Immersing myself in the twisting, ancient alleys of Fès, my lens sought the city's dramatic interplay of light and shadow-a visual metaphor for its hidden depths. "Spirit of Fès" captures the timeless poetry of the medina, from the shafts of golden sunlight piercing the dust of claustrophobic souks, to the breathtaking crimson and violet dusk that blankets the sprawling rooftops. It is a landscape defined by enduring textures: the rugged cobblestones, the intricate geometric zellij mosaics adorning age-old fountains, and the ornate brass-studded wooden gates guarding secret courtyards.

Yet, the pulse of Fès beats strongest in its people and their ancestral trades. Through intimate portraiture, I honored the knowing smile of an elderly craftsman wrapped in the crimson of his traditional fez, his weathered hands gripping a delicate wooden spinning wheel. Surrounding him, the medina breathes with ceaseless commerce-markets spilling beneath gargantuan trees laden with vibrant spices and painted pottery, while figures draped in traditional djellabas navigate the bustling archways. This series is a testament to an enduring harmony where meticulous artistry and the unhurried rhythm of daily life continue to beat at the very heart of Morocco's cultural soul.

Available as 1/1sEach photograph in this Morocco series is released as a one-of-one NFT. View and collect the Spirit of Morocco Collection on OpenSea.