THE FAMOUS MOROCCO SOUK MARKET by OYINKANSOLA ADEBOYE

Ever heard of a beautiful, yet chaotic experience? That’s the perfect description for Morocco’s popular Souk market: Marrakech. The fragrance of spices and bikes fumes, the sunlight, the echoes of the stallholders and the attractive colours of small stalls filled with pottery and leather bags, that’s the Marrakech experience.

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The Marrakech is one place you’ll love to see whenever you get to finally visit Morocco. This market is famous for its ambience and souks, which are one of the largest in Africa. They are famous globally as some of the most exotic marketplaces to shop. From spices to tea sets and from clothing to ornate rugs, the market offers a wide assortment of goods for sale. The souks are the heart of the Marrakech medina and have been the centre for trade in the city a thousand years.

Historically, all souks are divided and laid out according to the separate commodities being made and sold. The most expensive products, such as manuscripts and gold, are sold in the centre of the main souk area with the less expensive goods are sold at the outskirts of the market.

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The Jemaa el Fna begins the souks while it ends at Musée de Marrakech. Open from around 9am to 9pm, the best time to visit is in the cool of the morning, or in the evening when the sunlight seeps through slatted roof shades, illuminating a million golden dust motes.

With the myriad of goods lining the jumble of narrow streets, it can be tricky at times to discern where the souks end and begin, for first-time visitors it can be a bewildering experience. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, strolling around and enjoying the vibrancy of this market is an experience not to be missed.