Taroudannt Shopping

Most travellers to Morocco cotton onto the fact that the carpet shop thing in Morocco is on overkill - the country is flooded with carpet shops and carpets - for a country with a lot of people that dont have a particularly high level of tertiary education to aim for higher professions this is one vocation that does provide a form of work for a lot of men and of course provide an outlet for a rather wonderful craft and talent of its women population - particularly the Berber women in Morocco.

The carpets that can be found in Morocco can be absolutely stunning and impressive - wonderful investments and assets in your home and make wonderful souvenirs - having information to know or be able to look for the difference between an authentic carpet that is tribal or has been made in a womans home for her family, often incorporating stories of her life and that of her family - and one made for the tourist market, often coming from production line towns such as Taznakht.

A genuine and good quality carpet does cost a lot though but will last as an heirloom.

Here in Taroudant Maison Nomade run by Brahim is a good place to indulge in the sensories and suss out something wonderful to your liking from amongst a wide selection. - whether a commercial carpet or one that has come via dealers or his own staff from homes around the locality.

All manner of leather goods are on sale at the tannery shop. There are jackets, handbags and shoes made out of cow, sheep goat, camel and even snake skins. There is less of the hard sell here than in Marrakech, so you'll probably leave, as I did, without buying anything.

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Just about everything that can be made out of argan oil is on sale here, including cooking oil, cosmetics and traditional medicines. You can see Berber women grinding nuts for hours to extract every last drop and rows of bottles on shelves of the finished products.