Souk Central

By Phin Upham One of my favorite travel spots in the world is Marrakesh in the West African country of Morocco. There’s a lot to do and see in Marrakesh such as riding a camel through the desert or visiting the many famous mosques. However, in the “Red City” you must check out all the souks. A souk is an outdoor shopping center, somewhat like an overly cramped swap meet with extra tiny stalls. Souks truly capture the essence of Moroccan culture. Marrakesh is world famous for its souks. A few good ones: 1) Souk Semmarine: My personal favorite is Souk Semmarine which is the largest and most interesting souk by far. Souk Semmarine is full of brightly colored bejeweled sandals, slippers, and gorgeous jewelry. They also sell leather pouffes for sitting. 2) Souk Ableuh: This souk is great for tasting all the delicious ingredients of Moroccan cuisine. Ableuh is lined with stalls selling lemons, chilies, capers, pickles and olives. They have olives of every kind: green, red, and black. Another popular ingredient that you can buy at this market is mint which is typically used in many popular Moroccan dishes and teas.

3) Souk Kchacha: Souk Kchacha sells all types of wonderful treats. The stalls here specialize in dried fruits and nuts. Some of the standouts are the dates, figs, walnuts, cashews and apricots. 4) Rahba Qedima: This souk is popular for buying handmade goods and animal skins. The place is well known for alligator and iguana skins. They also carry some of the most stunning hand-woven baskets. Rahba Qedima is the right place to go for natural perfumes, knitted hats, scarves, and tee shirts. They also sell ginseng and Ramadan tea.

Phin Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Facebook page.