Craft & Design
Morocco is a paradise for handicrafts — and Marrakech's souks are the showcase. Many of the crafts have been practiced unchanged for centuries:
The Main Crafts
- Zellige: The geometric mosaic tiles made from hand-cut ceramic pieces — the foundation of Moroccan architecture. Available in Fès (the center of Zellige art) and Marrakech. A table: from 200€.
- Carpets: Berber carpets from the Atlas — hand-knotted, naturally dyed, each one unique. The merchants serve mint tea and tell stories — it's a theater that belongs to the purchase. Prices: 50–5,000€ depending on size and quality.
- Leather: Marrakech (and Fès) are famous for hand-tanned leather — bags, shoes (Babouches), poufs, belts. The tanneries are an intense experience: dye vats, smell, tradition.
- Lanterns: The perforated metal lamps that cast magical light patterns on walls and ceilings — the most iconic souvenir of Marrakech. Handmade in Souk Haddadine. From 100 MAD for small ones, up to 5,000 MAD for large ones.
- Argan oil: The "liquid gold of Morocco" — from the nuts of the argan tree (native only to Morocco). Cosmetic oil (for skin and hair) and culinary oil (nutty, for dipping). Cheaper and guaranteed authentic in roadside cooperatives.
