Just a week ago, I was in Marrakech, Morocco taking in all that this magical city has to offer. Marrakech is home to beautiful mosques, palaces, and gardens, as well as a maze of souks that sell a variety of different must-have goods. With all the options, a trip to the souks can be quite overwhelming and first timers often leave the city with overweight luggage packed with any and everything. If you’re like me and would prefer to purchase only the must-haves, here are the 3 things you should buy in Marrakech:
3 Things to Buy in Marrakech
Argan Oil: You know the Moroccan Oil products we all know and love? Well at the core, these products contain argan oil. Argan oil is extracted from the fruit that grows on argan trees, which can only be found in Morocco. In Morocco, women extract the oil by hand to make an oil that can be used for cooking and an oil that can be used for cosmetic purposes. The cosmetic oil can be used for moisturizing dry skin, getting rid of acne and scars, fortifying against wrinkles, nourishing the hair and scalp, and even treating oils. Argan oil is definitely something you should buy in Marrakech and you can find it from 20 dirham – 80 dirham per bottle ($2-8 USD).
The fruit on the argan tree
Local women extracting the oil by hand
Leather: I’ve been in the market for a nice leather weekender for some time now and had priced bags at Tumi and a lot of other well-known luggage companies. A leather duffle bag from Tumi will easily run you more than $500. In the souks of Marrakech, shoppers are encouraged to haggle and negotiate with sellers and I got a very nice leather bag that was originally priced at 1200 dirham for 600 dirham ($60 USD). The leather is authentic and the quality is amazing. Throughout the souks, you can see shop owners dying their leather and creating their items, which adds to the experience. Whether you’re in market for a backpack, wallet, or duffle bag, leather is something you definitely want to buy in Marrakech.
Home goods: The souks in Marrakech have a whole section dedicated to home goods. They have some of the most beautiful lamps and light fixtures I have ever seen, and although many are too big to fit in luggage, some are small enough and can be wrapped so that you can transport them with care. Some of the bigger shops even ship to America. In the souks, there are various rug shops where you can learn about the various types of Moroccan rugs available and get them at incredible prices. Smaller rugs are rolled and wrapped so that they can fit easily into a checked back or be carried onboard as a carry on item and larger rugs are shipped. Apparently, a lot of American interior designers and furniture stores shop for rugs in Marrakech because of the quality, the uniqueness, and the great prices. Besides light fixtures and rugs, another home item that you should definitely buy in Marrakech is a tagine. Although you will see tagines on the menus at restaurants, this is actually the name of the dish used to prepare the meal as opposed to the name of the meal itself. In essence, these are earthenware pots used for cooking. Once you taste a traditional Moroccan dish that you love, you are sure to want a tagine of your own so that you can prepare your own at home. Check out my Instagram today for a photo of the tagine that I took home with me.
Local woman making a rug by hand
What would you buy in Marrakech?
Want to read more about my time in Morocco? Be sure to lookout for Travel Well: Marrakech – coming soon!
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