Souk in Marrakesh
In the heart of Marrakech, between the alleys north of the central square, are the souks, that is, miles and miles of narrow corridors that house small emporiums the size of a closet. The number of stores is overwhelming: 100 establishments for every 100 meters , although some seem forced to sell the same items of little use, especially slippers, djellabas and carved brass dishes the size of a sewer.
All parts of the souk have their own specialty and in its different alleys you can find everything from spices and iron objects to the ingredients needed to cast spells. Among the areas worth getting lost in are the Breed Berber —a series of dimly lit, roofed corridors that was once a slave market and today centralizes the carpet trade—and the Kissaria , a network of straight and extremely narrow alleys full of stalls selling cotton, clothing, kaftans and blankets. The most photogenic of all is the Souk des Teinturiers or souk of the dyers, which offers a wonderful picture with its pieces of wool dyed and put to dry.
Pottery, lanterns, and metalware abound in nearby shops. Usually the souks are open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and closed on Friday mornings . All hotels try to endorse a guide to their clients warning them of the dangers for a foreigner to enter the souks on their own, but the truth is that there is no problem.
Thanks to strong government measures, sticky situations with overly pushy traders are now a thing of the past. Also, getting lost is almost impossible: it is true that there are hundreds of winding alleys but the Medina is not that big and you will only have to ask a neighbor to return to your initial path.
And regarding the guides that ensure better prices in haggling, forget it. Any discount they can get will be pocketed as personal commissions.
Map: See map
Address: The Medina, Marrakech See map
Schedule: Open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. They close on Friday mornings.
Guy: Specialist stores