The Souks of Marrakesh
Marrakesh is a major city of the kingdom of Morocco and also the fourth largest city in the country. Owing to its fairly central location, the city has long been a significant trade center – a cross-road of various interlinking merchant routes, where craftsmen from far and wide would gather to exchange goods. It has the largest traditional Berber market (souk) in Morocco. There are about 18 souks in Marrakesh employing over 40,000 people in pottery, copperware, leather and other crafts. It’s amazing to think that for a thousand years the district has acted as a thriving central hub for trade and commerce without very little changing at all. Though allowances have been made for modern tastes, many of the traditional commodities can still easily be bought from the winding alleys of the souks. Marrakesh has retained its status as Morocco’s cultural and economic hub, and is today considered the nation’s bustling metropolis. Jemaa el-Fna sits at the very heart of the city’s ...