ABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the historical significance of working equines in the cities of the Middle East and North Africa and to demonstrate the contemporary importance of working equines with the example of the Fez medina. Research was conducted in Fez, Morocco, including interviews and documentary research. The results show that a significant proportion of the inhabitants depend on the work of equines for their income and many more depend on them to supply the basic needs of their daily lives. An alternative agenda for the revitalisation of medinas across the region is proposed based on a plan that works with the existing equine labour network instead of replacing it with noisy, polluting vehicles such as automobiles and motorised scooters which require expensive infrastructure modifications.
