Marrakech’s famous olive market is located in the Souk Ableuh, a vibrant open-air market corner just off the northeast edge of Jemaa el-Fnaa square in the Marrakech Medina

What You Will Find at the Olive Market

• Rainbow of Olives: Piles and large vats of green, red, pink, purple, and mature black olives.

• Flavor Marinations: Olives seasoned with local herbs, za'atar, parsley, cilantro, garlic, thyme, cumin, cayenne, harissa, or preserved in lemon and olive oil.

• Pantry Staples: Stalls double as local provisions, offering homemade harissa, preserved lemons, wild capers, pickled carrots and vegetables, and jars of amloo (almond, argan oil, and honey spread).

Practical Tips

• Tasting: Vendors are usually happy to let you sample a few varieties before you buy.

• Pricing: Olives are very budget-friendly, typically costing around 5 to 10 dirhams for small bags or half-kilograms.

Rahba Kedima Square (also known as Rahba Lakdima, Place des Épices, or the Spice Square) is a vibrant, historic open-air market located in the heart of the Marrakech Medina, just north of Jemaa el-Fnaa and off Souk Semmarine.

What You'll Find Here

• Spices & Apothecaries: Traditionally known as the spice market, shops feature pyramids of vibrant spices, saffron, herbal remedies, argan oil, prickly pear oil, and traditional cosmetics.

• Artisan Crafts & Straw Goods: The center of the square is packed with stalls selling woven straw baskets, hats, colorful placemats, leather-handled fans, hand-carved wooden items, and Berber carpets.

• Unique & Traditional Curiosities: Stalls also display pottery, vintage jewelry, djellabas, and traditional items like dried herbs or local folk remedies.

• Rooftop Cafés: Overlooking the open square are popular spots like Café des Épices and Kach Kech Rooftop, where you can drink mint tea and watch the activity from above

Souk Haddadine is the historic, open-air blacksmiths’ and ironmongers’ market located deep within the vibrant maze of the old Medina of Marrakech. It is widely celebrated as one of the most authentic, raw, and sensory-rich quarters of the traditional markets. You will almost certainly hear the rhythmic, metallic clatter of hammers hitting hot iron echoing through the narrow alleys before you even see the entrance.

Unlike some of the highly polished, tourist-centric areas of the souks, Souk Haddadine remains a working industrial heart. Here, local Marrakchi artisans shape everything from massive wrought-iron palace gates, window grilles, and road signs to delicate, hand-pierced Moroccan lanterns, chandeliers, and small copper trinkets.

A foundouk (or fondouk) in Marrakech is a traditional Moroccan caravanserai—an ancient multi-functional building designed as a rest stop, shelter for traveling merchants and their pack animals, and a warehouse for trading goods in the heart of the Medina.

History and Architecture

• Original Purpose: Located near the city gates or deep inside the commercial souks, foundouks featured a large open central courtyard surrounded by ground-floor stables/warehouses and upper-level rooms for human guests.

• Modern Transformation: Many of these historic stone and brick structures have been carefully restored and repurposed into boutique hotels, artisan workshops, art galleries, and atmospheric restaurants

The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest and most iconic house of worship in Marrakech, Morocco. Standing majestically at 77 meters tall near the bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa square, its magnificent 12th-century Almohad minaret serves as the historic anchor and ultimate visual landmark of the old city's skyline

Historical & Architectural Significance

Commissioned during the reign of the Almohad Caliphate, the mosque showcases the peak of Moorish-Islamic architecture, influencing landmark structures like the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. The minaret is famously designed with an internal ramp rather than stairs, which originally allowed the muezzin to ride a horse to the top to deliver the call to prayer. The name Koutoubia derives from the Arabic word for booksellers (kutubiyyin), referencing the bustling manuscript market that once surrounded the base of the mosque.

Following the tragic September 2023 earthquake that impacted parts of the region, the mosque underwent meticulous structural repairs and officially reopened to worshippers in July 2026