“Souk” (sūq) is Arabic for “market”. In old Arab cities, each trade traditionally had its own souk, so all the leather workers were together, all the carpenters, all the ironmongers, and so on. Together they made up the city's central shopping and trading area.

A lot of the shops in the souks are workshops, where artisans produce their goods on the premises. So you can see Morocco’s famous crafts being hand-made the traditional way. Most artisans are happy to let you watch, especially if you're interested in buying.

Orientation

No matter how good your map, you’re going to get lost in the souks, but that’s part of the experience.

Coming from the Jemaa el Fna, the main road into the souks is Souk Semarine. To find it, head through the olive souk, turn left at the end of it into Souk Qassabine, then first right into Souk Semarine.