Bustling, labyrinthine and shrouded in shadows, the souks of Marrakech offer the city's most fascinating sights. Whether to shop or simply explore, they are a definite passing point for any visitor.

Covering over a square kilometer, the souks enclose a variety of trades and individual sections. Although these can initially appear baffling to the visitor, the layout is in fact relatively simple: don't stray too far from one of the principal arteries (Souk Smarine, Souk El Kebir and Souk El Atarin) and your explorations should take you safely around the various areas.

At the Northern end of the souks, best accessed from the Ben Youssef mosque, are the active workshops of various trades. See blacksmiths hammering out wrought-iron work (to be sold on in up market garden stores for many times its local value), smell the pungent aroma of the leather workshops and watch the babouche makers sewing the stuff into slippers. Workshops blend into stalls as you walk further south and emerge at the Rahba Kedima, a square notable for its bizarre offerings of animals (dead or alive) and strange potions for spells.

Souk Smarine, the main artery, is the place to browse and barter. Stalls offer everything from highly desirable jewels to wooden camels and kaftans. A pair of babouche slippers makes an excellent souvenir. Snack on succulent olives or amazing pastries.

Guidebooks warn of hassle from pestering guides and vendors when entering the souks. In reality, it is possible to shop relatively undisturbed, other than by the crowds at various junctions. Unwanted guides are becoming fewer and vendors are far less invasive than those in many other North African cities. Entering the souks from the North is a good way to avoid eventual strife and offers the added bonus of exiting into the lively scenes of the Place Djemaa El Fna.

Source: whatsonwhen.com 
 
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