Sensational Souks in Marrakech
recommended by
Sue Dobson
Marrakech has been a trading city for a thousand years. In the dense maze of the médina labyrinthine souks run one into the other, each specialising in goods from spices to slippers, carpets to clothes, leatherwork to lanterns, wool to wood.
Go in the early morning or late afternoon when it’s fascinating but less crowded, and remember that everything closes on Fridays.
Bargain for babouches, the pointy-toed, backless leather slippers in a rainbow riot of colours and richly embroidered suede. Look for djellabahs with pointy hoods, straight out of Star Wars, and invest in a tagine, a tall, cone-lidded, glazed terracotta cooking pot.
Walk away with marvellous baskets, blue and white or yellow and green pottery, leather, silks and scarves in myriad shades, brooches in traditional Berber designs, intricate metalwork lanterns, wrought iron candleholders and beautiful thuya wood boxes inlaid with marquetry or mother of pearl. If your budget doesn’t stretch to a carpet, consider a small rug or woven saddlebag.
At the end of the day, step out from the souks for a reviving mint tea on the top terrace of the Café-Restaurant Argana or the Café de France. See the sun set over the pink-walled city, gaze out to mountain peaks defined in the distance, and watch as the Djemaâ el Fna square comes to vibrant life below you.
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The Travel Editor & Black Tomato
We love Black Tomato because they get under the skin of a place better than anyone else. Cutting edge with a hip twist, Black Tomato specializes in putting together inspiring travel experiences for discerning customers like you.
After all, travel is all about life-enriching experiences and one size doesn’t fit all. Because every customer is an individual, each trip created by the Black Tomato travel team is unique, and every itinerary tailor-made. You ask, they make it happen. We love it.
Want to book a trip like this?
Our travel partner Black Tomato can design the perfect tailor-made holiday just for you.
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