Medina Souks

What it is and what you see

North of Jemaa el-Fna square begins the maze of the souks, the commercial heart of the medina. It is not a market, but a network of covered streets and alleys, each with its own trade: textiles here, copper there, wood or leather further up. The natural entrance is Semmarine street, the main artery, which leaves the square towards the north with ceramics, fabrics, kaftans, pashminas, antiques, rugs and jewellery.

From there, each souk has its speciality:

• Souk el Attarine, the left fork of Semmarine: copper and brass lanterns and lamps, mirrors, candelabra, silver teapots, spices and perfumes.
• Souk Smata, about 10 minutes north-west of the square: babouches, the leather slippers.
• Souk Cherratin, in the north, 15 or 20 minutes away: leather bags, purses and wallets.
• Souk Chouari, to the north-east, about 20 minutes away: cedar and thuya objects, carved lattices and furniture.
• Souk Haddadine, that of the blacksmiths, about 25 minutes away: lanterns, copper trays, wrought-iron furniture and teapots, often made in front of you.
• Souk Kimakhine, to the north-west: traditional instruments, such as the guembri, the bendir, the darbuka or the oud.

When

The souks open every day. On Friday morning, the day of prayer, many shops open later or close until after midday, especially in Cherratin, Chouari and Kimakhine. To shop calmly, go between 9:00 and 11:00: there are fewer people, and in the craft souks, such as Haddadine or Chouari, more work is seen in the workshop on weekdays. Jemaa el-Fna square, by contrast, is best at dusk, from 17:00 onwards.

Getting there

On foot, from Jemaa el-Fna, which is the reference point for everything. Cars do not enter the medina, but motorbikes do, and fast: walk at the side of the street. The main streets have names and the side ones do not, and your phone often loses signal, so have your riad marked on an offline map.

Price

Walking around is free. In the souks you always haggle, without hurry and with good humour, and you pay in cash, in dirhams. If something does not interest you, do not ask the price.

Practical tips

You will be offered help at every step: "the square is that way", "that's closed today". They are fake guides who end up asking for money or taking you to a shop. A calm "no, thank you" is enough. If you want someone to show you the souks, hire an official guide through the riad.

With teenagers, the souks are a good lesson in haggling: set a budget and let them negotiate. With small children, the crowds and the motorbikes on Semmarine tire them soon; better a short morning and a rest at Le Jardin Secret. If you get lost, ask for Jemaa el-Fna or the Ben Youssef madrasa, in the north of the medina.