The Most Famous Of These Temples
Of Worship Is El-Karoubin (Or El-Karouiin), Supported By Three Hundred
Pillars.
In this is preserved the celebrated library of antiquity,
where, it is pretended, ancient Greek and Latin authors are to be found
in abundance with the lost books of Titus Livy.
This appears to be mere conjecture. [27] But the mosque the more
frequented and venerated, is that dedicated to the founder of the city,
Muley Edris, whose ashes repose within its sacred enclosure. So
excessive is this "hero-worship" for this great sultan, that the people
constantly invoke his name in their prayers instead of that of the
Deity. The mausoleum of this sacro-santo prince is inviolable and
unapproachable. The university of Fez was formally much celebrated, but
little of its learning now remains. Its once high-minded orthodox mulahs
are now succeeded by a fanatic and ignorant race of marabouts.
Nevertheless, the few _hommes de lettres_ found in Morocco are
congregated here, and the literature of the empire is concentrated in
this city. Seven large public schools are in full activity, besides
numbers of private seminaries of instruction. The low humour of the
talebs, and the fanaticism of the people, are unitedly preserved and
developed in this notorious doggerel couplet, universally diffused
throughout Morocco: -
_Ensara fee Senara
Elhoud fee Sefoud_
"Christians on the hook
Jews on the spit," or
"Let Christians be hooked,
And let Jews be cooked."
The great division of the Arabic into eastern and western dialects makes
little real difference in a practical point of view. The Mogrebbin, or
western, is well understood by all travellers, and, of course, by all
scholars from the East.
The palace of the Sultan is not large, but is handsome. There are
numerous baths, and an hospital for the mad or incurable. The population
was estimated, not long ago, at 88,000 souls, of which there were 60,000
Moors and Arabs (the Moors being chiefly immigrants from Spain), 10,000
Berbers, 8,000 Jews, and 10,000 Negroes. But this amount has been
reduced to 40,000, or even 30,000; and the probability is, the present
population of Fez does not by any means, exceed 50,000, if it reaches
that number. Nearly all the Jews reside in the new city, which, by its
position, dominates the old one. The inhabitants of Fez, in spite of
their learning and commerce, are distinguished for their fanaticism; and
an European, without an escort of troops, cannot walk in the streets
unless disguised. It was lately the head-quarters of the fanatics who
preached "the holy war," and involved the Emperor in hostilities with
the French.
The immense trade of every kind carried on at Fez gives it almost the
air of an European city. In the great square, called Al-Kaisseriah, is
exhibited all the commerce of Europe and Africa - nay, even of the whole
world. The crowd of traffickers here assemble every day as at a fair.
Fez has two annual caravans; one leaves for Central Africa, or
Timbuctoo; and another for Mecca, or the caravan of pilgrims. The two
great stations and rendezvous points of the African caravan are Tafilett
and Touat. The journey from Fez to Timbuctoo occupies about ninety days.
The Mecca caravan proceeds the same route as far as Touat, and then
turns bank north-east to Ghadames, Fezzan, and Angelah, and thence to
Alexandria, which it accomplishes in four or five, to six months. All
depends on the inclination of the Shereef, or Commandant, of the
caravan; but the journey from Fez to Alexandria cannot, by the quickest
caravan, be accomplished in much less time than three months and a half,
or one hundred days. The value of the investments in this caravan has
been estimated at a million of dollars; for the faithful followers of
the Prophet believe, with us, that godliness is profitable in the life
that now is, as well as in that which is to come.
Fez is surrounded with a vast wall, but which is in decay. What is this
decay! It applies almost to every Moorish city and public building in
North Africa. And yet the faith of the false prophet is as strong as
ever, and with time and hoary age seems to strike its roots deeper into
the hearts of its simple, but enthusiastic and duped devotees!
The city has seven gates, and two castles, at the east and west, form
its main defence. These castles are very ancient, and are formed and
supported by square walls about sixty feet in front, Ali Bey says,
subterraneous passages are reported to exist between these castles and
the city; and, whenever the people revolt against the Sultan, cannon are
planted on the castles with a few soldiers as their guard. The
fortifications, or Bastiles, of Paris, we see, therefore, were no new
invention of Louis Philippe to awe the populace. The maxims of a subtle
policy are instructive in despotism of every description.
The constituted authorities of Fez are like those of every city of
Morocco. The Governor is the lieutenant of the sovereign, exercising the
executive power; the Kady, or supreme judge, is charged with the
administration of the law, and the Al-Motassen fixes the price of
provisions, and decides all the questions of trade and customs. There
are but few troops at Fez, for it is not a strong military possession;
on the contrary, it is commanded by accessible heights and is exposed to
a _coup-de-main_.
Fez, indeed, could make no _bona-fide_ resistance to an European army.
The manufactures are principally woollen haiks, silk handkerchiefs,
slippers and shoes of excellent leather, and red caps of felt, commonly
called the fez; the first fabrication of these red caps appears to have
been in this city. The Spanish Moorish immigrants introduced the mode of
dressing goat and sheep-skins, at first known by the name of Cordovan
from Cordova; but, since the Moorish forced immigration, they have
acquired the celebrated name of Morocco.
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