Fes likes in a shallow hollow, its core of ancient wooden structures threaded by dirt alleys, the chief mode of transport the donkey. I was told by a resident that those who had lived there all their lives wished to live nowhere else. Tucked away is the 9th century university of Al Karaouine (Al Qarawiyyn), still a center of Islamic studies, with the 14th century Al Attarine Medersa nearby still in use as a college dormitory. New buildings nibble at the edges of the historic core, and elegant boutiques for carpets and jewelry can be found if one knows where to look.