 | Marrakesh Shopping | Tips 11 - 20 of 98 |  |
On my last day in Marrakesh, I realised that although I'd brought 'Sahara' by Michael Palin with me, I hadn't had time to read it.
I thought I'd better read his Marrakesh pages, to see if he'd visited any places I'd missed.
As soon as I'd read about his Muezzin clock, I knew this was something I HAD to have!
After a short discussion with the shopkeeper in my hotel, who acknowledged that you could purchase this item, along with instructions to go to the 'locals' shops behind the Koutoubia Mosque, I was heading in that direction!
Unfortunately, despite lots of searching and miming, I didn't find my clock! However, I thought if I could find watches in the Souk, I must be near to my goal. Again, with a lot of miming (pointing at my watch, pointing to a clock, miming sleep, then a bell waking me :-o) !! ) I finally was taken to a clock stall.
Although the owner was intent on showing me standard alarm clocks, I spotted my prize in the top corner of a cabinet!! light blue plastic, in the shape of a mosque. Instead of a shrill bell, you're woken to the sound of the call to prayer!
Feyyaq Muezzin = Muezzin alarm clock.
Every time I hear the call to prayer, I get goose bumps! so many happy holiday memories have involved this sound!, so this souvenir gives me the chance to relive those memories.
I think I paid 80dh for this clock, the price started at 300dh!, my hotel shopkeeper said I'd probably pay 50dh. Leave a Comment Theme: OtherAddress: Clock/watch Souk, MarrakeshDirections: Afraid, don't know exactly where this was, but was towards edge of the Souk, near DEF square. Just ask for (or mime) clocks / watches, write Feyyaq Muezzin on a piece of paper, or download my photo of the clock!
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This is were you can find everything. In Marrakesh, the souk is pretty big and you can get lost very easily. But generally, you can find the same kinds of shops at the same place. For example, all "babouche" stalls together, the same for "tajines", spices, lamps, ceddar wood, "cheichs", bread, fruits and vegetables, make up, clothes etc.
You can buy whatever you want but be aware that you should bargain. And this can take a lot of time and be very annoying. The sellers usually consider tourists as a "money pump" and try to get as much money as they can from them. They begin with a very expensive price. The best thing to do according to me is to know exactly the amount of money you want to spend on something and never exceed this amount. Then you can begin with a lower price and increase it until your limit is reached while the seller decreases his price. May be you can find an agreement very easily, may be not. I heard that it can sometimes take a few days. If you disagree, you can say that you want to check prices in another shop. Sometimes they let you go, sometimes they agree with your price.
Like it or not, it's a local custom ;-) Leave a Comment Theme: Department Store
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On my last day of Marrakech, I found myself at the Mellah (an area in the Medina) Souks. I was so upset to find that everything I had bought and bargained for at already LOWER PRICES. I discovered that other Souk shops keepers, actually buy their merchandise at the Mellah Souks. It is located right next to the Plaza Place Des Ferblantiers. I found stylish lamps at 1/10 of the price: one cute lamp for 20 dhms (which is just a little less than 2 euros). Even though I was upset at myself for not going there sooner, I will save you the heartbreak and give you this awesome tip! Theme: Other
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There's an awful lot of great shopping to do in Marrakesh. Moroccan souvenirs, textiles, foodstuffs, antiques, clothing, rugs...it's almost overwhelming. You'll also be overwhelmed by the attentions of shop owners, all of whom are VERY anxious to sell you something. You'll be strongly tempted to buy out the very first store you enter. There's so much great stuff!
Calm down. It's a certainty that whatever you see in the first shop will also be available in the third, the sixth, and the tenth place you visit. Get an idea for what's available first, get a handle on prices (at least, the starting prices), and don't be too quick to buy things at the places your guide drags you to. If you find it yourself, you won't end up paying the guide's kickback along with the price.
Although I really hate bargaining and I'm not very good at it, haggling is absolutely essential in Marrakesh and around Morocco. I'm usually able to get the starting price down by about half, although someone more skilled could probably do better. As far as I'm concerned, if I've paid a price that's reasonable to me for the item, I've done a good job. Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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I was invited into this shop, while I was wandering about near Dar Si Said. I'm no expert on antiques, and I'm always a bit wary if they are genuine. However, the shop owner was keen to show me some of the many items he had on display.
He explained some of the items were Berber, from villages in the High Atlas mountains. He also had a lot of Jewish items.
When the Jews left the Mellah for Israel, many articles were sold, or left behind. I was shown jewellry, household goods and old scriptures.
I wasn't intending buying anything, but left with a Berber key, which I paid 50dh for.
Probably not a bargain, but a 'different' souvenir! I did enjoy poking around this shop though, although it was quite sad to imagine the owners of the goods selling them or having to leave them behind.
Berber articles
House hold goods
Jewellery
Jewish scriptures
Probably as little or as much as you want! Leave a Comment Theme: AntiquesAddress: Near Dar Si SaidDirections: Not sure of exact location, but I think I've got a business card somewhere, so will post details as soon as I've located it!
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I spotted these pottery Toureg figures in Djemma el Fnaa. After a while haggling I purchased a reclining toureg in a blue jellabah for 50dh. It was wrapped in that days local newspaper. OK, I can't read arabic, but it's another souvenir!
I always pack some bubble wrap in my luggage, in case I'm swayed to purchase fragile articles.
local pottery
Haggle for a price you're happy with, I was asked 200dh, and paid 50dh. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: Djemma el Fnaa
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You can buy a tajine in the souks. The souks are special on a way that you have to bargain there as much as you can!!!!
If you like cooking, a tagine is a very useful "souvenir" (even if it is a bit heavy)!!!!
There are also nice little ones to put salt and peper (less heavier and also very useful)
Again, you have to bargain as much as you can!!!! (see local customs). For a basic tajine like on the picture, the normal price is about 30-40 DH... for a nicer one with decoration, my friend Bridget succeed to negotiate a price of 80 DH... a very good price according to our morrocan friends!!!!! Leave a Comment Theme: Home Furnishing
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Before going to the desert, don't forget your "chech"! It protects you from the sun but also from the cold, the wind and the sand!!! You can find them in every colors in a lot of souks. Blue is more the colors of the berber nomads... But I don't wear a lot of blue things, so I bought a red one and a green one !
Don't hesitate to ask the salesman to show you how to put it on the head... there a so many ways to do it!
It should be around 20 DH. Leave a Comment Theme: Women's Clothes
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Marrakeshis do their "grocery" shopping for the most part in various areas of the souks as well as at tiny little closet-sized stores at which you walk up and tell the man behind the counter what it is you want, and amazingly, he'll probably have it somewhere right behind him (eggs, shampoo, what have you). However, you will not find beer or wine within the souks or at the closet-sized stores.
This means you must trek into the ville nouveau. No worries, just take Mohammed V boulevard (on foot, by taxi, galeche or bus) in the direction of the new city. Acima exists on Mohammed V boulevard.
Here you'll find a traditional grocery with isles and isles of food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, a nice deli/bakery with a great "scoop-it-yourself" spice section (and olives! mmmm! get some olives). They've got a great cheese selection considering. And, an area at the opposite end of the store that contains quite a selection of wines (mostly French and Morrocan), beer and even liquor.
We came here to buy an assortment of cheeses and wine to share with our new friends that ran our riad.
Olives, spices, cheese, wine, beer...
Good cheese is priced SO much better than it is here, in the U.S., great brie, goat cheeses, etc. Big chunks for like $1.50! Bottles of wine are in the $5-8 range. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkDirections: ACIMA is at the corner of Mohammed V boulevard and Mohammed Smiha street
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On hte main squre you have at least 40 street karts selling and making orange juice.
orange juice fresh one. you can ask for no ice and on the hour for the real fresh one. they can have some orange juice already made, fresh anyway, but the real thing is the real thing.
very cheap: one big glass costs 1.5 dirham.
you can get a 1.5litre bottle for 10 dirhams 1 euro Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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