This post is also available in:
WHAT IS SUOK
You will surely have heard of the Marrakech souk,someone will have found it exciting someone instead will have felt a little scared. We have walked almost every day inside the souk and we can tell you the whole truth about this magical place in Marrakech.
The rather large and ancient Marrakech souk has resisted the time, modernity and opening of the most advanced shops. A maze of tangled ladles, animated every day and every hour by merchants, improvised guides, artisans, running children and boys playing chess.
It is not a tourist attraction but a place of pure everyday life of the Moroccan people: in the souk women shop, buy soaps, spices, fruits, honey sweets and chicken. The girls walk to buy beautiful scarves orArgan oil,mopeds skilfully zip through pedestrians and cats cross the street in search of something to eat.
The souk is the place to meet others, shelter from the sun and find some fresh.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN MARRAKECH SOUK
The souk is that part of Marrakech that conquers you: colors, scents and a lot, a lot of noise. It would be impossible to list everything you will find within this labyrinth; you will be overwhelmed immediately by this colorful chaos that runs fast and swallows you, hypnotizes you and remains attached to you. Look around and marvel: lanterns, lamps and chandeliers shining under the faint light that manages to enter the souk, rows of colorful babouche, baskets of spices and herbs for infusions,sweets that flood the streets with the scent of honey and almonds. But you will also find beggars, merchants who will invite you to enter and buy their goods at a “special price”, artisans at work who will have little time to devote to it, improvised guides who will invite you to follow them to discover some fantastic place, then asking for a tip.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MARRAKECH SOUK
The Shops of the Souk are always open every day,but if you do not feel ready to face immediately the traditional and characteristic chaos of this place you can choose to take a walk among this crossroads of narrow streets in the morning around 10:00. Be careful though, on Friday mornings perhaps many shops will be closed; remember that this is the holy day for Muslims and will engage them in the mosque from 1pm until 4pm. Always walk on the right so as not to “hinder” the passage of mopeds.
Beware of those who will stop you telling you that they will accompany you somewhere (the conceptions for example) in a completely free way: in reality they will take a percentage from those who will “guide” you in this place. Many people tell you to be careful about pickpockets and perhaps it is true, in the confusion it is easy for someone to take advantage of them but you just need to have a well-closed crossbody bag to solve the problem.
Perhaps women will feel compliments even a little pushed but nothing serious, keep walking without giving too much confidence. For signs always raise your head, they are placed high and will be enough to reach the main areas such as Jemaa-El-Fna square. Indulge in the bargaining game: never accept the first price, get down and don’t worry about looking cheeky…for merchants bargaining is a real art and about prices here are the maximum figures to spend to buy some typical products
SOUK BARGAINING GUIDE
- Argan gommage and black soap: 5 euros/8 euros
- Argan Oil: Maximum 12 euros (if pure and remember that Morocco is the only producer of Argan Oil in the world)
- 60 g mint tea: 5 euros
- Traditional teapot: 10 euros
- Glass tea glasses: 6 euros
- Magnets and key rings: 1 euro each.
- Local craft earrings: 1-2 euros each
Leave a Reply