Crafts to discover Marrakech

The of Marrakesh are open from 9 h till dusk. Many shops of craftsmen are closed on Fridays. The Marrakech Souk itself is a monument: 40 000 craftsmen work inside this maze of streets and alleys with shimmering colours and characteristic smells, protected from the sun by wooden lathe. Orientation: this huge handicraft and commercial market obeys a rigid structure and order under a voluntarily disordered appearance: each corporation is thus confined to a neighbourhood. Admittedly, today it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between the various parts of the souk, and the co-existence of traders does not always correspond to the primary vocation of neighbourhoods. But, by historical or tradition, it is always the old name of that is used by the Marrakchis. Today, the approaches of the souk (place Jemaâ el Fna, in particular) are victims of a «touristisation» that has lost many of the crafts shops their authenticity: by remaining at the periphery, you may acquire copies at the price of the authentic. You must therefore leave the shopping streets of the square Jemaâ el Fna, despite the insistence of most of the guides (which will urge you to stay close to the bazaars) and get into the dust. And if you are looking for more chic shops, head to the Gueliz district. There are many trendy shops offering candles, furniture, decoration items and crafts at reasonable prices given the originality of some parts.

From Bab Talar, your steps will naturally take you to the Chraïtine Souk, the leather shop, reserved for the sale of objects made in open air near the square of Ben Youssef. Chraïtine Souk was once the string quarter (chraïtine) for the city workers or the harness of the camels. This large, lighted artery filled with carpets, bags and other braided baskets of rattan will lead you to the Chouari Souk. It is in this street that is painted and that the maroquineries sold by the craftsmen are being cleaned.