Fes

Fes seemed to me to be the quintessential Moroccan city. While Marrakech attracts more tourism, Fes is the oldest imperial city and has always been the religious and cultural epicenter. Typical of the imperial cities, there three general areas of the city- the new town (French built), the Jewish quarter (Mullah) and the old town, or fortified medina. The medina is what makes Fes the authentic experience that it is. It's the largest living Islamic medieval city in the world. And while there is a certain amount of tourism, for the most part people live and work within the ancient city walls in much the same way as they have for centuries. For an outsider the medina is a huge labyrinth and at every turn the path ahead looks exactly the same. So you have to go into it planning on being lost and bewildered before you find your way out. The first day that I went, I focused on trying not to veer off the main alley, just to get a feeling for the whole scene. It's an onslaught on the senses. Sounds and smells and sights coming from all directions. Most people are working their daily lives; guiding donkey carts or doing their craft in their workshops. But everyone else is aggressively trying to get your attention. In the bazaars and souks, the shopkeepers want to sell you their wares (they always say, "Just to look, no to buy!") and the restaurants and cafes want you to sit and eat or at least take a cup of mint tea (commonly known as Moroccan whiskey).
Other than just walking around and checking things out, there are a number of sites to see within the medina walls. The Koranic universities, or medersas, are really interesting. Most were built during medieval times and the more ornate ones have very elaborate tile work and woodcarving. There are numerous mosques as well, although in Morocco non-believers are not welcome. While the religious sites are impressive, I enjoyed seeing the tanneries. Moroccans have been tanning leather in the same way for centuries and are known for a soft goat leather made for binding books.
The worst part of the medina experience, and indeed much of Morocco, are the faux or unofficial guides. Law enforcement has cracked down on this practice recently, but it is still very present. These hustlers are shameless in their pursuit of your obligatory "tip". They always pose as "students" or "friends" who are eager to show you whatever you want to see. And if you're not sure, they will happily provide numerous suggestions until something sounds interesting. The annoying part of these encounters is that they don't take no for an answer. You can politely decline their assistance and many times they will still follow you around trying to talk you into letting them guide you somewhere. At times, for the really persistent ones, it was easier to just tip them a few dirham to move on to someone else. I do feel for these guys, though, as they are just trying to get by. And while a third of Morocco's population is under fifteen and unemployment is soaring, getting by is becoming increasingly more difficult.
Hanging out in Fes is an experience to say the least. Its intensity makes it very difficult to sit idly by and observe Moroccan life. I doubt many tourists that are just passing through get a good grasp on the intricacies of the people. The culture does not seem to reveal it's soul easily, and with the combination of sensory overload and culture shock, it can be hard to see the Moroccan forest through it's trees.