This picture shows a tile made in Fez exhibiting a typical geometric design found on walls and floors throughout Morocco. Fez has a reputation as a centre for excellent arts and crafts but Marrakech has arguably the best overall selection of products that visitors might like to buy and take back home with them. Here is a quick resume of some of the best arts, crafts and gifts that Morocco has to offer. Morocco has a wide range of textiles, with scarves, jellabahs (cloaked garments), slippers, ethnic tops and trousers, and fake designer goods being top of the list. Jewellery is also reputed to be of good quality. Tiznit, south of Agadir, is the centre for silver manufacture, and much of the jewellery made in this town ends up in shops in Marrakech and Fez. Marrakech and Fez both have metalworking souks where you can pick up some good bargains if you want to decorate your house with lanterns. The quality of such goods is extremely variable so look carefully at the workmanship. The souks are also awash with leather goods, from bags and satchels to wallets, purses and picture frames. Prices for such items are way below comparative prices in Western Europe. Ceramics, like the tile pictured, plus decorative bowls, serving plates, cups and saucers are generally made in Fez and Safi (on the Atlantic Coast) and find their way into souks around the country. The quality is often very good and the prices low. A popular purchase is an authentic tajine dish. The cheaper, simpler ones are often the best, but be aware that if you cook on a normal hob (gas or electric) you'll need to place a heat diffuser under the dish so that it doesn't crack. Continuing with the food theme, spices such as cinnamon, cumin, ras-el hanout and corriander are excellent as is the hot tomato paste "harissa". The area around Taliouine is home to the Moroccan saffron industry and prices in the souks are considerably lower than in Europe. Decorative lamps, plates and ashtrays made of Tadelakt are vey popular. Tadelakt is a material that originates in Marrakech - a mix of earth and lime and polished with olive soap to give a waxy finish. Finally, Essaouira and its surrounding region's thuya forests yield wood used to make highly polished boxes, chess sets and backgammon boards. These highly decorative items are often inlaid with mother of pearl and the larger items can fetch high prices in the souks. |
