Shopping Morocco Crafts

Shopping Morocco Crafts

Metalwork craftsman hammering a design in Fez
The medinas of Morocco are hives of traditional industry, where you will see exquisite examples of the country’s flourishing arts and crafts.

Exploring the souks of Fez and Marrakech is like walking down the corridors of time. More is revealed the more you delve, for it is in the hidden fondouks and courtyards off the main drag that traditional crafts and industries thrive in ways that have barely changed since Andalusian refugees introduced them over 1,000 years ago.

Crafts are grouped according to type, with the finer crafts located close to the Great Mosque. Each craft is organised into a guild, with apprentices working under master craftsmen for several years. Only when an apprentice is deemed to have the necessary skills and mental application will the master craftsman declare him fit to work alone. The traditional crafts of Morocco still make the best bargains. Here's our guide to the best souvenirs to bring back from Morocco.

What to buy in Morocco

Carpets

First and most prominent of the handicraft traditions are carpets and rugs, hand-knotted and in some cases, still coloured with vegetable dyes. Designs (apart from the Turkish-inspired patterns of Rabat carpets) are predominantly traditional to Berber tribes. Their colours and symbolic motifs enable experts to pin down not only the area in which a carpet was produced but sometimes the tribe or even family that made it. Top-quality carpets sell for thousands of dirhams; more affordable and easily portable are Berber rugs, kilims or blankets. Try the small country souks around Marrakech.

Edibles – spices, nuts, oils, olives, sweets

Edibles are a popular purchase. As well as spices, nuts, herbs, olives and Moroccan sweets, possible buys include argan oil, produced in the southwest. It is sold, either on its own or mixed with ground almonds (a nut butter called amalou). Because of its high value, it is difficult to guarantee that the oil has not been mixed with olive oil. One way of being sure that the oil you buy is 100 percent pure is to buy from one of the women’s cooperatives organised by the Projet Conservation et Développement de l’Arganeraie, which markets its oil to supermarkets under the name Cooperative Tissaliwine and has the EU-approved certificate of producing an organic product.

Leather

Leather goods are widespread, from unpolished leather bags and belts to distinctive pointed slippers (babouches) and ornate pouffes, studded and dyed. Some leather goods are finished in a style closer to Italian designer luggage. In all cases, price should go hand in hand with quality, so check the hide and workmanship before buying. Printed boxes and bookbindings have become the victims of their imitators and too often look tacky.

Jewellery

Jewellery is available for sale everywhere, although one of the best places to buy it is in Tiznit’s famous silversmiths’ souk and in the souks of Taroudant, Essaouira and Marrakech. Dull silver is the basic material: heavy but beautifully decorated bracelets, delicate filigree rings, chunky necklaces of semi-precious stones (or occasionally of plastic, for the unwary) are most commonly found. Slightly more unusual, and sometimes antique, are decorated daggers, scabbards, or Qur’an boxes, covered with silver-wire decoration. The fastenings are often a weak point. Beware, too, of silver-plating masking what the Moroccans call b’shi-b’shi – meaning rubbish.

Marquetry

Marquetry is another traditional craft: wooden furniture, ornaments, chess sets and small wooden boxes made in cedar, thuya and oak, as well as boxes and mirror frames inlaid with camel bone. Many wooden goods are inlaid with veneers or mother of pearl. Often the quality of finish is less than ideal: hinges are points to watch. The woodworkers’ ateliers at Essaouira are an ideal place to buy (and to watch the manufacturing process).

Metalwork

Metalwork ranges from copper or brass items such as trays with fine, ornate hammered designs (which, along with a small folding wooden stand, make attractive tables) to wrought-iron and pierced copper or brass lanterns, mirror frames and tables with tiny hand-carved zellige-tile inlaid tops. There is also custom-made, contemporary designer furniture which is in good supply in Marrakech’s ironworkers’ souk near Madrassa Ben Youssef.

Pottery

Pottery ranges from the rough earthenware of household pots and crocks to gaudy (and predominantly tourist-orientated) designs and beautiful blue and white, green or coloured ceramics from the main pottery centres of Safi, Fez, Meknes and Salé. Marrakech and Essaouira both have extensive pottery souks. The more refined, detailed (and expensive) pieces usually come from Fez, while Safi is famous for its dark-green-coloured pieces. In Marrakech you can find almost anything, including modern takes on traditional designs.

Perfume

Perfume is loved by Moroccans of both sexes. Western brands are admired, but traditional scents, such as musk, orange flower, patchouli and amber, remain popular and are usually found in pure essential oil form in the spice souks and apothecaries of most medinas. Incense is used in the home on special occasions and for perfuming clothes.

Woodwork

Woodwork such as boxes and turned containers made of thuya, a lavishly grained, aromatic wood that grows only on the the Atlantic Coast, is what Essaouira is famous for. Elaborately painted wood is also a Moroccan tradition: look for ornate painted mirror frames and hanging wall shelves of all sizes.

Morocco crafts..culture of morocco

Morocco's craft culture fuses indigenous Berber traditions with Arab, Jewish, Andalusian, and other European influences (particularly France), and marries local resources -- stone, wood, metal, mineral and clay deposits, and supplies of leather and wool -- with imports such as marble and silk.

Moroccan Caravan is owned by Addi Ouadderrou, Amazigh (Berber) a native of Morocco and based in Somerville/Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The Moroccan Caravan always carries authentic high-quality arts and crafts. We care about our friends and customers, we treat them as if they were part of our family and share with them the warmth of Moroccan hospitality. We want you to get things just like the ones we use in our homes.

Please keep in mind that shopping at Moroccan Caravan means directly helpping Moroccan artists, keeping alive ancient art forms for everyone's enjoyment.

Take advantage of the specials we have offered

We adjust the shipping cost after we receive orders

We adjust so that our customers pay a friendly s/h rate based on zipcodes, especially when multiple items are combined in the same order.

Morocco's craft culture fuses indigenous Berber traditions with Arab, Jewish, Andalusian, and other European influences (particularly France), and marries local resources -- stone, wood, metal, mineral and clay deposits, and supplies of leather and wool -- with imports such as marble and silk.

Technique, passed on through specialist guilds where a master maâlem instructs apprentices and examines their skills, is at the core of Moroccan crafts. An extensive repertoire of designs combines Arabic calligraphy, graceful foliage, and abstract geometry typical of urban design with the sharply stylized birds, animals, zigzags, triangles, and squares of Berber origin. Crafts were officially encouraged during the French protectorate (1912-56) through the research of scholars and teachers and during the reign of King Hassan II (1961-99), who sponsored government handicraft centers and training schemes and employed craftsmen on major projects such as the great mosque in Casablanca.

Foreign investment and the development of tourism are powerful incentives for the survival of these traditional crafts. Owners of hotels, guesthouses, and private homes employ builders, decorators, tile makers, wood and stucco carvers, metalworkers, weavers, and embroiderers to create beautiful and comfortably furnished environments. Meanwhile, souks are full of goods -- ceramics, jewelry, clothes, leather bags, slippers -- to attract tourists, and contemporary Moroccan fashion designers make brilliant use of traditional fabrics and decorative techniques in their collections.

Architecture -- Within the imperial cities of Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, and Rabat, traditional life was based on the medina where houses, souks, and craftsmen's workshops clustered around public buildings such as the mosque, medersa (teaching institution), fondouk (travelers inn), communal fountain, and hammam (bathhouse). The ruler's palace was usually located in a defined space outside the medina.

Buildings conform to a basic square or rectangle with an open court concealed from the outside world by high walls. Columned arcades surround the courts of mosques and medersas, one or two stories of rooms enclose the small courtyard of a dar, and walls frame the garden of a riad.

Beyond the cities, the spectacular kasbahs -- residences of local rulers -- and the ksar -- fortified villages -- also have walls enclosing living and storage areas. Before the advent of concrete, bricks made of clay, gravel, and lime were the main building material, reserving local stone for specific features. Gray stone quarried near the port of Essaouira, for example, was used to build the columns and arcades of warehouses and the frames of doors and windows, carved in intricate designs of foliage, stars, and rosettes. Local marble is used in floors, columns, and fountains in wealthy homes. Brick walls are frequently decorated in the technique of tadelakt, which also gives walls a durable, waterproof, and attractive polished surface. This craft involves several stages, including the application of a plaster of powdered limestone mixed with pigments -- usually yellow, rust, brown, or green -- which are burnished when dry and polished with oily black soap.

Three major crafts decorate and furnish Moroccan buildings: woodwork, carved plaster known locally as geps but also called stucco, and ceramic mosaic tilework called zellij. They are seen at their best in the decoration of the medersas (built in the 14th-16th c.) of Fes, Meknes, and Marrakech, and in the surviving palaces and great houses of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Moroccan interiors are remarkably uncluttered by fittings and furniture. Apart from the arched mihrab niche indicating the direction of prayer toward Mecca, mosques have a minbar, or pulpit, for the preaching of the Friday sermon and a few stands for copies of the Koran, while the medersa only adds a few mats, books, and personal possessions to the students' rooms. Households have little movable furniture except cushions, floor coverings, small tables, and stands, and rooms are multifunctional and easily converted into spaces for dining, sleeping, or entertaining.

Cedar wood from the forests of the Middle Atlas and Rif mountain ranges is used in various woodworking techniques. One of the most beautiful is mashrabiyya, an openwork lattice of small turned pieces of wood joined in patterns of squares, octagons, and stars to form the partitions in the court and rooms of a medersa and in private houses to control the flow of air, filter light, and separate private and public space. In Morocco's medersas, wood was traditionally carved in relief, with bands of religious inscriptions in Arabic, calligraphy in angular Kufic or a flowing cursive script, and panels of spiraling and interlaced foliage mingled with geometric motifs. Wood serves many uses in a household, including kitchen utensils and finely carved tables, shelves, storage chests, jewelry caskets, and containers for ink and cosmetics.

Among the regional variations is the prized marquetry of Essaouira, worked in the root of the thuya tree that grows near town. In specialized workshops, the wood is carved into a range of tables, stands, frames, boxes, and containers that are decorated with marquetry in citron wood, walnut, and ebony, often enriched with inlays of mother-of-pearl and copper and silver wire. Painted wood, known as tazouakt, has mainly survived in the palaces and large private houses, seen in their domed and vaulted ceilings, doors, and shutters.

The technique of carved plaster -- called geps or stucco -- is one of the most difficult to master. The craftsman has to work fast, first spreading a thick layer of wet plaster and then shaping and incising many levels of relief in stages before it dries. The spectacular results can be seen throughout Morocco covering panels, friezes, arches, and vaults.

Deep friezes of brilliantly colored zellij line the lower walls of buildings and column bases with an explosion of radial and interlaced patterns. The craft flourished in Fes using the technology of ceramic glazing.

Ceramics -- Workshops in Fes and the port city of Safi have traditionally produced distinctive ranges of decorative wares using fine red clay. The kilns and workshops of Safi, the most extensive pottery center in Morocco, are outside town. Here the industry was revived in the late 19th century by potters from Fes who were attracted by the quality of the local clay. They also introduced the technique of polychrome decoration, which has simple borders and medallions of geometric motifs painted in blue, green, and yellow on bowls, plates, and vases. Berber pottery, in contrast, uses brown and red clay to make unglazed items that are painted with simple designs in vegetable-based colors of red and yellow.

Clothing -- Moroccan dress requires the crafts of textiles, jewelry, and leather. While European dress is increasingly worn in the cities, it is still possible to see contemporary versions of traditional clothing worn by men and women, purchased ready-made in the local souk or commissioned from a tailor. The basic garment is the jellabah, an ankle-length, loose robe with long straight sleeves and a pointed hood. These are made in fabrics ranging from fine wool (usually worn in the city) to rough, homespun yarn of the rural Berbers, who also wear a large cloak, or burnous. Headdresses range from an embroidered or crocheted skull cap to a red felt fez for formal occasions.

Women's jellabahs are made in a greater range of fabrics, including light-weight cotton, silk, and blends of synthetic fibers. The clothing of Berber women consists of lengths of cloth fastened with silver pins and brooches, cloaks woven with geometric motifs, and elaborately folded headdresses.

Traditional dress is important in marriage rituals, especially in Fes where the bride is robed in layers of garments and wraps of brocaded silk and gold-embroidered velvet. She is then adorned with a gold crown hung with strings of pearls.

Jewelry -- The craft of jewelry is deep-rooted in Moroccan tradition. The skills of Andalusian and Jewish immigrants historically monopolized the workshops of Fes, Marrakech, Essaouira, and Tiznit up until as recently as the middle of the 20th century. Jewelry uses many techniques of casting, engraving, filigree, chasing, and enameling to communicate messages of wealth, status, and identity. City jewelry is usually gold crafted in intricate filigree and often set with pearls, garnets, emeralds, and rubies. Flamboyant Berber jewelry is made of silver and often embellished with coral and amber beads.

Leatherwork -- Tanneries in Fes, Marrakech, and Taroudannt continue the traditional processes of transforming animal skins into soft leather suitable for shoes, bags, cushions, book covers, and more. The main style of shoe for both men and women is flat-soled, heelless slippers called babouches. These are usually made of white, beige, yellow, or red leather and can be decorated with embossed and embroidered patterns. The footwear of Berbers consists of closed leather shoes and boots suitable for rough country terrain.

Metalwork -- The importance of metalwork is best seen in Moroccan architecture and furnishings. Doors studded with iron nails turn on iron hinges and are fitted with iron and bronze knockers. Openwork grills of wrought iron decorate windows and balustrades. The workshops in the souks of Fes, Marrakech, and Taroudannt equip homes with a wealth of objects in copper and brass and teapots of silver and pewter.

Textiles -- Morocco has had a well-deserved reputation for textiles since Roman times, especially for the woven and embroidered fabrics of the Berbers. Today, Berber women continue to weave wool blankets, rugs, cloaks, storage bags, and pillow and cushion covers using natural black, brown, and white yarn (which can also be dyed). By the 16th century, Fes became Morocco's principal center for the weaving of fine wool and silk for both domestic and export markets. Since these times, the city's professional craftsmen have embroidered silk velvet with gold and silver thread using a flat couched stitch to work elaborate flower and foliage designs for luxurious house furnishings, wedding garments, and horse trappings. Many of the embroidered textiles required for a household -- curtains, pillowcases, mattress and bed covers, runners -- have been traditionally made by women. Apart from Fes, Meknes and Rabat are also known for their embroidery work.

GO TO MOROCCO

Many friendly words are exchanged with the tannery workers, proud they are to work here and they're well payed too. "A tannery is a gold mine" goes a saying. The omnipresent malodour of fresh animal skin and dye and urin and pigion droppings (used in the process) though is hard to swallow and written all over some of the workers faces.

You can loose the feel for travelling quickly. That's what I feel these first days after Spain.

Meeting Hasna in TANGER I have difficulties catching the spirit again that prevailed before TARIFA.

Partying in Europe quickly restores the consumer inside, the guy that I was in my life before.

In Spain you can spend as much money in a day as in Africa in a week. And it is enticing to spend. It makes you look rich and beautiful. And most people who come to Tarifa are or pretend to be just that.

I've come for another 3 month, my second half, to Morocco. It takes me a few days to realise not to take it lightly. Like in football, even when you lead after the first half you still can loose the game.....

From Tanger we travel south, down the coast. ASILAH is beautiful, LARACHE a rubbish bin. We travel onwards viaSOUK-EL-ARBA-DU-RHARB to VOLUBILIS, an ancient Roman provincial capital, declared a Unesco world-heritage site just recently.And Hasna and I, still we don't know each other too well, but determined we are to give it a try. I am still not sure she likes her El-Nino T-shirt, I brought from Tarifa.

MOULAY IDRISS just afterwards is an interesting little town pressed against a mountain side. It is the tomb of Moulay Idriss, the holy founder of the first Islamic Kingdom of Morocco, that makes it a centre for Islamic pilgrimage, It is conservative, by nature, its people unfriendly and they regard the strange couple with suspicion. But as I said I am still trying to recapture my feel for country and people.

On 14th of June after MEKNES we reach FES, Hasna's birth place.

Fes, the most complete Islamic town in the world, has much to offer. It virtually sucks me into the medina on all of the 4 days. Endless I can walk around in search for corners noone wants to go.

Hasna on the other side cannot share my interest. Of course not. She has lived here all her life. And the Medina is not the place a modern Fassi would go but for showing it to a tourist or curious relative.

Inside the medina it is the tanneries that I am after. Photographers have got to go for the tanneries.

In the 4 days that I spend here (Hasna leaves earlier for Casablanca to catch up with a few things), I see 4 tanneries, most are smaller then the Tannerie Chouara, which is the one above, which is as well the one I was shown together with Hasna by a small boy on the first day.

The police took the boy away 30 minutes after our visit to the tannery, enforcement of rules to prevent harassment of tourists. I prefer a boy to an official guide who never stops littering you with rubbish stories you're not interested in and who shows you as many carpet shops as possible.

Friday it takes me a great many attempts to find the Chouara Tannery again. In the process I visit a few more, none as exiting and vast. The close to midday shots I do not even want to take as I have intention to come back for a better, earlier light shooting. But then I am taken round the whole thing by a nice chap called Farchardin for 1 Euro and a bottle of water.

Later from 12 onwards the medina starts to shut for the day. People are busy closing their shops and make it in time for the prayer. I listen to the spiritual chants that precede the Friday sermon and watch through the door of the Moulay Idriss Mousoleum from a distance. Next to me a small cat that fell from the roof is dying.

Saturday morning I finally attempt to shooting the tanneries in nice light. Tired after not much sleep (first it is too hot, then there's many midges, best sleep is between 6 and 8, it is too hot afterwards) I get up before 6, easily find my way to the tannery. Where I hang around around 7-ish well before my rendez-vous at 8 with Farchardin.

The offensive smell from the dye is (already) well present and my early morning stomach just cannot take this. Happy to have taken some shots the other day I decide to give it a miss.

The medina still empty these early hours of the day and makes a good alternative target. A bit spooky, the tiny streets with no one around.

Where normally hundreds of chandlers in front of their hole-in-the-wall shops engage you in talk constantly, others and their donkeys rush the merchandises, which ever, from here to there, where busy Fassi shop for their daily needs and manic tourists, who never seem to understand how to dress, follow their guide prevails wide emptiness today. (what an English sentence - I think I keep it that way - you're welcome to correct it)

In CASABLANCA I rejoin with Hasna and spend the weekend. I like Casablanca. It is relaxed. A big town (4.5 Mio) with all the advantages and disadvantages. Its colonial French architecture reminds you a bit of Marseille. I could imagine living here. On the top of being normal Casa offers several kilometres of excellent beach and all the cuisine you (I) want.

I cannot but take Hasna to the Manhattan Club, a formidable French restaurant. Fish and Steak and a bottle of Bordeaux. I have not been to a great restaurant for a while and have not eaten that well in a restaurant for a while.

To sleep we drive the Land Rover onto the beach where we manage to get it stuck. Deflating the tires will have to wait till later.

After Casa the ice is broken. We are back in the travelling business, not just physically.

Monday 20th we again turn south, spend the evening in EL-JADIDA. Hasna prepares an excellent Fish Tagine, well spiced. Elaine an old French/Moroccan born, roughly 70, who joins us for dinner is equally overwhelmed by the "gouts". "Tu ne peut jamais mancher comme-ca dans un restaurant". "You'll never get that in a restaurant.".

SAFI the next day. Fresh Sardines for 5DHs (0.5Euros). We have them grilled on charcoal at a local food stall. Hasna: "La vie est belle en Maroc."

We reach ESSAOUIRA late that day. It is the 21st of June, 2 days before the start of the Gaoua Festival.

23rd of June. It is Festival time. The town's buzzing. The craze, that the Gnaoua music creates in peoples' heads, is toxic, contagious. You cannot escape it in these next 4 days. Concerts from 6 p.m. to sometimes 3 in the morning. I am loving it.