Non-Muslims can’t go into the interior of mosques, although if the outside gates are open, it is usually permitted to peer in, and even take a photo or two. The most famous mosque in Fes is the Karaouiyine Mosque which can hold up to 20,000 people. From outside, one only gets a glimpse of the grandeur and beauty of the place. Fortunately, in a round about way, we were able to see the interior. As we stood by the entrance, a man in his 60s who was sitting by the door wearing a gray djellaba and holding prayer beads, offered to take pictures for us from inside. He took several photos of the main courtyard and the ablutions basin where Muslims clean their hands, feet and face before prayers. He then returned to us so we could explain how to work the camera’s zoom — and after went back inside to take several more detailed shots. We were touched by his kindness to us as tourists, especially when he received nothing in return. Actually we did give him a few dirham coins for his generosity — which he immediately gave to a beggar sitting just inside the entrance.
