 | Essaouira Shopping | Tips 1 - 10 of 36 |  |
Popular Shopping | Other Shopping Tips | All Tips (36) Vast array of items in lovely thuya wood - good quality workmanship and a wide choice - all at fixed prices. Some prices were lower than seen elsewhere and very reasonable, especially when converting into sterling, but some prices such as the lamp i bought my moroccan friends thought were much more expensive than shouldve been.
Beautiful jewellery boxes of all sizes and decorative styles - such as alternate wood inlays or mother-of-pearl or lovely streaked or speckled gnarl well polished.
Trays of varying sizes and shapes and styles, lamps, coasters, tables,
all sorts and all beautiful!! and with that lovely fragrant scent of thuya!
The jewellery boxes in my selection were between 300 and 340 dirham. The table lamp was 375 dirham. lovely single pen boxes were only 3 dirham. a rather nice tray i bought was only 50 dirham. there is such an array of items with an array of prices! Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: 6 Rue Khalid ibn OualidDirections: Heading from the Skala du Port into the medina the first main square is Place Moulay Hassan, just along a bit further past the Taros Cafe and Cafe Faid and just before Pattisserie Driss is the large sign of the Cooperative Artisanal left into an alleyway.
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the lonely planet suggested that of course lovelly locally made thuya marquetry items make lovely souvenirs with the work reputedly the best in Morocco but that a better idea might be a painting by one of the local artists.
When roaming around one can certainly see that there is plenty available with several gallery shops around and many souvenir shops with paintings clearly available for sale.
Near the covered passageway up to the Skala de la Port we noticed a shop with some interesting looking pieces around the entrance and went in to check it out.
We spent over half an hour in this guys shop ending up being enticed by this and that and then it takes time doing the haggling stuff.
We both found some pieces that we liked that we thought would not only be souvenirs depicting what was special to us about Essaouira but also that it was providing some sort of income input to the area and hopefully the artiste that we bought of.
Unfortunately up on the ramparts there were guys painting pictures for sale that we and i like better actually than a piece id bought in the gallery and these guys' were better priced as well.
so why not just buy all of it! almost did i think but i am happy with the pieces i got and provides a bit more of morocco to have at home in England, New Zealand or Australia.
i was able to haggle for two pieces of a woman artist i think copying a style that i saw in an actual art gallery but i really liked her two pieces that didnt have the evil eye depicted all over it, for 140 dirham. then a larger painting together with leather art piece also for 250 dirham. and then up at the north bastion we got some small but cute blue and white paintings for 50 dirham each and then another painter up near him i loved his very colourful paintings of women having tea - he wouldnt haggle or budge from his price of 100 dirham each. i eventually got money from the ATM and went back and bought them. All a bit more expensive than my moroccans thought i should have paid when showed them later but no regrets! Leave a Comment Theme: ArtDirections: around the streets of the Essaouira medina - gallery shops, many souvenir shops and individual painters going about their craft on the street and walkway sides
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If you don't want over-pay (hmm... what does it mean?) you must bargain. The first price is always higher than the real last price, sometimes even twice higher. Natives are real artists of bargaining and great observers of their foreign customers. So, look at them and learn haha.
A few advices:
1. Never hurry up, be patient and always keep smiling :-), keep in mind that shopping in Morocco takes more time than eating in France :-)
2. Try to be the first consumer in the morning (especially on Monday); some locals believe that the first good deal makes them good luck for the rest of a day/week thus they are ready to lower price more that time.
3. Try not to use English language, use French or Spanish or better none LOL. One of the first question is: where are you from. The highest price - not only the first one - is given for English speaking, American tourists especially. Natives think they are rich and can pay much more. Well, in the past Russian worked well but it changed...
4. Never pay special attention to the item you really want to buy - the natives are perfect observers.
5. If you buy more items be twice more patient and ask a seller to lower price again and again.
6. Do not refuse if they want to give you a tea (usually mentha tea with a lot of sugar) or something else to drink, be patient.
7. Never say in words or in your face that the price seems attractive to you.
8. If you are satisfied with your shopping give the seller a small gift: a cigarette, pen, sticker (label) etc. They love it. Optionally you can take a picture with your seller and ask him for an address to send the picture. Warnings:
- the address will be mostly written in Arabic letters,
- be sure that your picture will be displayed in a street stall/shop.
Anyway, next time you will be a special costumer. They have a very good memory for faces of their customers.
HAVE A GOOD FUN AND HAPPY SHOPPING :-).
Local craft - do enlarge my picture, please.
Less than you can even imagine :-).
Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftDirections: In the old town - the medina.
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There are a lot of stalls on tourist trails/streets od Essaouira open since early morning till dusk. The exhibitions of wood works are quite impressive.
Local wooden handicraft like drums, plates etc. The first prices seemed very attractive for me - lower than in other destinations in Morocco.
Bargain, bargain, bargain. Good luck :-). Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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Unfortunately Essaouira becomes more and more a tourist trap referring to local handicraft. There are a lot of not so traditional local products on sale there.
Look at my picture, please. I saw a number of lamps, in metal (which was very, very rusty) or in thin leather. Just a few examples of not so local craft but... if you like it, why not to buy one?
Bargain, bargain, bargain. Good luck :-). Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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Shopping in Marrakech for the uninitiated can be a daunting experience to say the least. My tip is window shop to your hearts content in Marrakech, but do your actual shopping in Essaouira. For a start it's cheaper, but it's also a lot more relaxed. You do not eexperience the high pressure techniques of the Marrakech souk, and you're less likely to be ripped off.
Essaouira is justly famous for its wooden goods. Lacquered boxes of all sizes are an excellent buy, as are wooden picture / photoframes. It's also a good place to buy the ubiquitous babouches, the Moroccan slipper. Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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Thuya trees are unique to this area, the fragrant wood is used in all manner of craftwork. Marquetry work is of a high standard, whether in tables or gift boxes.
This co operative has an area where the craftsmen can be observed working on the various stages of creating their works of art.
The large showroom has examples of Thuya wood work, from pieces of furniture to small key rings etc. There are also other examples of local art such as paintings.
Thuya wood marquetry work
wooden boxes
coffee tables
jewellery
Prices are fixed, so you can get a good idea of what to pay in other shops, or buy here, where there's a wide selection of quality goods.
I paid 20dh for a Thuya Wood bangle. (2005) Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftDirections: In Place Moulay Hassan, on the right hand side with the harbour behind You.
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The argan is looking like an olive but while in the olive, the flesh is pressed to get oil, in the argan, the stone is hand broken and crushed to get argan oil. Lot of work ! Women cooperatives are now preparing and selling argan oil which has become a ''fashionable'' oil Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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The most typical articraft of Essaouira, is carved thuya. Everywhere in the medina, you will find various objects in thuya wood. It has a very distinctive aspect and a scent of its own that will last for years. Anyway, you have better buy them in the Vilarmar articraft complex in Salé where they will be less expensive ! Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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From previous tips, it might seem wise to buy argan oil in Essaouira. Actually, most shops in the Essaouira medina sell argan oil, but, for the same brand, it is about twice the price you can have it in any Marjan department store (look at my Rabat page) Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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