Fez, the Lure
Watercolor on Arches paper
copyright © Sophia Khan
The Royal Palace doors of Fez, striking and mysterious, complex and geometric, offer a breadth of visual poetry for the artist and writer to reflect upon. Long time followers will recognize these as a favorite subject to 'rest' my pen and paintbrush...
Along those lines, the below poem began shortly after completing this watercolor. It is inspired by a few things: my time traveling in Morocco; a book by Titus Burckhardt titled, Fez, City of Islam; which I read during my undergraduate architectural thesis for a design project in Fez; and the process of completing this painting and reflecting on it afterwards.
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Thresholds of Fez
Fez is a city of Thresholds
A threshold between past and future.
The past remains precious to the heartbeat of the city
giving it the magic and lure it emits to this day.
The past is also nostalgic
and one cannot help but wonder,
Will the depth of traditions past, of a culture rich with mysticism,
continue to give this city the meaning it once did?
Handmade crafts and wares,
the techniques of which are handed down from generations past...
Will they remain the pulse that was once the lifeblood of the city?
Or will they slowly fade away, along with the longing for something new,
something different, more 'modern', more for the outsider?
Fez is a city of Thresholds
There is mystery behind its closed doors.
What lies before in sharp contrast to what lies beyond.
The gates surrounding the city, once built to protect it,
now stand as invitations to enter leaving notions of space and time aside.
The darkness, mystery, and frenzy of the maze-like city and its narrow souks
strikingly contrast its light filled courtyards.
Within them, cushions for reclining, colorful tiles, fountains, plantings,
The romance of it all being accented by the clattering of glass teacups
brimming with scent and simple luxury.
All hidden from public eye, as if protecting innermost longings.
Fez is a city of Thresholds
For the local, this merging of light and dark, of outer and inner,
is a constant reminder, a constant celebration of dreams and awakening.
For the traveler it is revealing and eye opening to encounter this.
And one leaves awe-struck, with a deepened knowledge of self,
Forever instilled with the longing to become one with desire.
Sophia Khan
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