Its ancient medina is the largest in the Arab world, and you’re probably wondering what to visit in Fez. Starting off at Place Seffarine will take you straight to the heart of the Moroccan craft world, for which the city is still famous, and especially the copper and pewter work carried out by master coppersmiths.

Listed as a UNESCO intangible heritage site since 2023

Both an open-air workshop and a showcase for the excellence of Moroccan craftsmanship, the Place Seffarine is home to thousands of precious objects created by the expert hands of maalems (master craftsmen), heirs to an ancestral know-how.

Metal engraving is one of the most delicate techniques used to decorate trays, teapots, coffee pots, boxes, lamps and other objects for the home decoration.

In the historic heart of the Fez medina

Situated a little above Bab Rcif, the small Place Seffarine is immediately recognisable with its huge tree and its concert of hammers working metal. It takes its name from the colour of the metal worked by the craftsmen (from ‘sfra’: yellow, in Arabic), and for centuries has been a renowned centre of copperware production, one of the oldest trades in the city.

The historic heart of the city of Fez, it is also home to the famous Al-Quaraouiyine University, whose library is considered to be the oldest in the world, with its ancient manuscripts on theology, grammar, law and astronomy.

It was founded in Fez in 859 by a woman called Fatima Al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy Tunisian merchant who had emigrated to Morocco.

Copper work: a fragile craft

In the Place Seffarine, you will sometimes see more restoration of objects than pure manufacture, as many of the craftsmen working with copper and pewter are now located in the larger Place Lalla Yeddouna, or in the Aïn Noqbi craft centre, a little outside the town. However, all of them will be happy to talk to you about their craft, the symbolism of the ornamental motifs and advise you on the choice and care of their creations.

Whether your taste runs to objects in almost orange-coloured copper, golden-tinted brass, or even creations in “maillechort”, an inalterable alloy of copper, zinc and nickel that imitates silver, don’t hesitate to bring back a souvenir from the Place Seffarine.

Your purchase will help to keep alive this craft, which has produced some truly masterpieces but is now very fragile. The rising cost of raw materials, young people’s lack of interest in handicrafts and the arrival on the market of producers of poor-quality items are all jeopardising a unique skill that is so dear to the heart of Fès.

Little English-Darija lexicon around Seffarine place