I love me a good souk and the souk in Tangiers, Morocco, is one of my favorites. For the uninitiated: The word souk means market or bazaar. To complicate things, most souks are located in the old walled parts of Northern African towns, called a medina. Some people use the phrase “medina” when referring to the souk, some say market and some say souk. No matter, when you visit Tangiers, you must go to the medina (old city) to shop in the souk!
The souk in Tangiers is a wildly colorful enclave of winding streets and tiny shops selling pottery, velvety pointy-toed slippers (called Babouches), spices and rugs. Tangiers sits at the tippy top of Morocco, just below the Strait of Gibraltar where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean and where Africa meets Europe.
To understand the significance of this it helps to look at a map. See, Tangiers is basically at the north-western-most part of Africa and looks north to Spain and the rest of Europe. From tall buildings in the Souk, you can look out over the water and see incredible views.
So, the Souk in Tangiers is like a “Souk with a view!”
You’ll want to start your souk experience with a calming stroll in the Mendoubia Garden, a lush ancient courtyard with a spectacular 100-year-old Bengal fig tree. You’ll need this moment of calm, because once you enter the souk, it’s crazy energy and all your senses will be on high alert!
Okay a bit about souk sopping. Bartering is considered a sport in Morocco. Come prepared to volley offers and counter offers. If you ask, “How much,” they will in turn ask, “How much do you want to pay?” Also, bear in mind, at the Souk in Tangiers, you have to wander through stalls with cheap “made-in-China” merchandise, masquerading as Moroccan crafts. So, enter the Tangiers souk with the sensibility of “buyer beware.”
Wander, explore with no fixed destination, experience, haggle a bit, but also allow time to visit some of these quality shops in the Tangiers souk.
Majid Antiques Majid Antiques is where you go to find a unique, one-of-a-kind piece that will make a statement in your home. You don’t go to Majid looking for bargains (although everything is priced far lower than you’d ever find it in the states). You go to Majid because you know they have curated extraordinary Moroccan art, furniture, jewelry or kaftans. The owner will drop names endlessly and share tales about the time he sold some artifact to Mick Jagger. Whether true or not, he’s got some extraordinary pieces in his tiny shop and can lead you in the direction of other valid sellers in the souk. P.S. Boutique Majid was also featured in a NYT article.
Rumi 1436 There’s a colorful little shop called Rumi 1436 with a handmade wrought iron sign selling hand-made candles festooned with tops that look like a fez. You’ll recognize it by the scents of jasmine, cinnamon and vervaine wafting from the door. I wanted to buy a dozen candles, but they are too heavy for travel. I opted for just one to scent my room while traveling. P.S. Rumi was featured in the NYT article, “36 hours in Tangier”
Bleu de Fes is a trusted shop for hand-woven Berber rugs.
Bleu de Fes If you are rug shopping (and who travels to Morocco without buying a rug?), I suggest you visit Bleu de Fes. It’s a three-story bazaar, right in the thick of the medina featuring gorgeous rugs, embroidered wall hangings, pillow and pouf covers. If I’m going to spend money on a rug, I want to know it’s the real deal and Blue de Fes’s rugs are certified original, made by Berber women. When visiting, ask them to take you to the roof (ideally during the call to prayer) for an amazing view of the entire souk. They negotiate hard but will offer you endless glasses of sweetened tea in the process. I bought a bold- colored kilim, but my friends who are serious rug collectors purchased several large wool rugs with gorgeous designs. Don’t worry about transporting large rugs – they are experts at sending them on to your destination.
Bazaar Tindouf I am the crazy lady who brings platters home in her luggage. I’ll stuff plates and bowls into my carry-on. My family and I traveled to England when I was ten years old. My mother bought a complete set of Spode (Buttercup pattern) and carried half of it home in her suitcase. I love the curious shapes of terrines and vases in Morocco and Bazaar Tindouf is a fabulous place to source quality finds. I bought a collection of grey solid gray vases in different shapes to decorate my bookshelves.
La Terraza de La Medina All that shopping is going to make you hungry and there’s a divine multi-story restaurant with views of the Bay of Tangiers On a clear day, you might even see the Rock of Gibraltar! I could have chicken cous cous in a terrine (aka chicken tagine) all day, every day and twice on Sunday and never tire of it. The tagine at La Terraza de la Medina is so tender and juicy, the little bits of sweet potato, carrots and vegetables cooked to perfection. Save room for dessert, because they will bring it to you whether you ask for it or not.
Barbara Hutton in Tangiers I’ve mentioned Mick Jagger and nearly every place in Tangiers can lay claim to once hosting one of the many celebrities who spent great lengths of time in Tangiers. Truman Capote’s favorite haunt was the Gran Café de Paris. Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg hung out at the bar, Tangerinn. William Burroughs wrote much of his novel, “The Naked Lunch” at the Hotel El-Muniria. Perhaps there is no expat more legendary in Tangier than Barbara Hutton, American heiress to the Woolworth fortune. She had her very own palace, The Palace Sidi Hosni which is just a stone’s throw away from the restaurant mentioned above, La Terraza de la Medina. Today, it’s a private home. According to Elle Décor, this 9-suite mansion went up for sale a few years ago. I have not been able to track the asking price but am way curious. If you happen to know the new owner, tell them I’d love to take a peek inside. (Just don’t tell her I can’t afford any palaces this week!)