Fondouk Chemaine, Historical caravanserai in Medina, Fez, Morocco.
Fondouk Chemaine is a medieval trading building in Fez Medina with multiple stories arranged around a central courtyard. The rooms were designed for merchant accommodation, goods storage, and commercial activities.
The structure emerged during the medieval period as a lodging facility for merchants traveling major North African trade routes. It reflects the importance of Fez as a major trading hub during that era.
The building shows how merchants and their traveling groups lived and worked together in shared spaces organized around a central courtyard. This layout reveals the close connection between commerce and daily life in medieval trading communities.
The building sits in the car-free zone of the Medina and is reachable only through narrow lanes, so local guidance is very helpful. Comfortable shoes and time to orient yourself are recommended.
The courtyard still serves as the spatial heart where merchants once displayed and negotiated their goods. Visitors can sense how daily life in the trading community once unfolded in this central space.
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