Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-03-28
MoRoCco'S CAPITAL.
The City of Fez-Quaint, Ancient and
Most Oriental of Iewns.

= long line of gray walls. broken here
and there by battlemented towers and
topped By the while buildings Of the Sui
tan's palace and a few minarets-such
is the travellers first view of Fee as he
approaches the capital by the main cara
van Fosd. IL is an unattractiye ap-
approach, for the last eight or ten
miles of the 10 that lie between
Tangier and the largest and most i'm
portant city of Morocco pass over a
plateau between level, unbroken stretches
OF corn-growing country, bounced on the
north by bare hills, and farther away, ON
the south, by range of rugged noun
tainS.
One sees little but its gray. monotonous
walls appearing on the horizon. Yet it is
an ideal site for city and Mulai Idris.
ITS founder and patron saint, did not err
IL liking upon il rs his capital when,
early in the Ninth century A, j.. he laid
IFS foundations. There is 4 picturesque
story told of the origin Of its name: for
las. as the Moors call it. means a hoe"
IN Arabic, and it is said that as Mulai
ldrs turned the FIRST sod he cried. Here
plant my hOc--a tradition almost iden-
teal with the naming OF hairouan by
me great okba The main entrance to
Il 81, the Bah Segma, is an unworthy
gateway for such a city. for il consists
Of little more than an archway cut in
me wall. with no pTeteuSIonS 10 size or
decoration.
There is second gateway on the
right. in the wall that incircles the palace
gardens, through which on the great
feast days of the year the Sultan rides to
pray az the 'Msala" near by The
NJ >9la itself IN short. White crested
wall. with a niche or mihrab facing the
East, a1d IS situated only a few hundred
yards away on the slope of the Hill. In
significant enough in itself. il presents ON
state occasions a marvellous picture.
Entering through The Bah Scgna one
passes Tor a short distance aleng street
lined With little shops whore dried figs
and ralSlus, W9inutS and groceries are eS-
posed fer sale. A sharp turn To the
right leads one into The outcrmoSt Of the
public squares Of the palace. an obloug
Enclosure. surrounded by high walls and
pierced at each cud by great gatcwayS
On the right Is the facade and entrance
20 The arsenal a particularly hideouS
mixture of bad Oriental and worse
European taste. while straight in front is
the Gate of the Lion a fine arcliway in
modern Moorish style, somewhat spoiled
by lis gaudy colorinG. which time i hap
pdy SoftenlnG. K is under the shade az
It's heavy roof that one Of The several
governors at lcz holds his public court
and deals ont what he calls Justice lie
sis crosS-lcggcd. attended hv secretaries
III deep niche IN the gateway. white in
Semi-circle before him squat his dozens
u whiterobcd and rcdcappcd soldiers
before him kncel the plaintiff and do
PENDANT. both talking yoiubly nj the same
time and each calling God 10 witness
HAT the other is a liar which is prob
ably true.
\ second public square lies beyond this
arohway. ON to which open The gates Of
the private precincts of thu Sultan'S
palace, with their guards If soldiers.
probably fast asleep. II is from this seq.
ond square that the routes fo old and new
Fec respectively divide The la.tcr CON
>iStS Of the upper and more modern town
and contains the palace. the ''Nlcllah." or
Jews quarter and district almost en-
tlrcly Official hut boasts little of interest.
i .omdon Times