This Fes and Meknes Shopping Guide gives information about souks and shops you may wish to visit. For information about what goods Morocco specialises in, or about items you may wish to pick up as souvenirs or gifts, be sure to visit our Morocco Shopping Guide. And if all this shopping makes you hungry, why not check out our Fes and Meknes Restaurants Guide.

Fes and Meknes Shopping Guide

Shopping in Fes and Meknes can be a rewarding and pleasurable experience, provided one follows certain ground rules. Bargaining is a way of life and most prices are highly inflated. It is always a good idea to look around a bit before buying anything or even offering a price. A plethora of local products are available in Fes, ranging from pricey leather goods, rugs and ceramics to cotton and silk textiles, jewellery, brass and copperware, wood work, dried fruit and slippers. Some of the musical instruments like drums produced here are of excellent quality.

The Ville Nouvelle is lined with modern Fes shops selling everything from traditional products to fashionable items, but for a unique shopping experience, head straight to the medina. Shopping in the medina of Fes is a whole different experience. It can get stifling and confusing at first negotiating the narrow streets, the lack of elbow-room, noisy haggling and heavily loaded carts and donkeys bearing down on you. But once you get your bearings right, it can be captivating. There are hundreds of streets and some of them are devoted to selling a particular product. One is never short of choices here, but remember to keep cash on hand as credit cards are not accepted at most places.

Pottery and Zellij (mosaic)

Exquisite pottery and mosaic work or Zellij, has been made in Fes for centuries. The Ain Nokbi area is the places to be if you are looking for pottery items. There are a number of outlets here, with in situ workshops. Needless to say, the distinctive styles and colours can have you in quite a spin. Bowls, cups, vases, mosaic tables, tiles and other products are sold in various price ranges depending on their quality.

Wood Craft Items

Woodwork is another traditional industry in Fes and anything from large pieces of furniture like tables, cupboards, doors and windows to antique items, masharabi (traditional wooden screens) hand-carved objects and souvenirs are on offer. Talaa Kibeera is the best place to shop for woodwork. A lot of the shops in Fes and Meknes arrange for shipment as well.

Textiles

Beautifully embroidered traditional garments like caftans, jallabas and gandouras are in great demand with visitors to Fes; many opt to have these garments custom tailored. Exquisitely designed shawls, scarves, bedspreads, tablecloths and cushions are made here mainly in silk, satin and wool and there is a wonderful choice of designs and colours.

Carpets/Rugs

Berber rugs, reversible carpets, and kelims (light weight rugs), knotted or woven in different sizes, shapes, designs and colours are virtually synonymous with Fes. They are not cheap and the best ones can cost thousands of dollars. There are reasonably priced products too, mostly woven ones, and bargaining skills really come in handy when buying carpets.

Food Products

The souks and bazaars of Fes spill over with a cornucopia of dry fruits, spices and a variety of delectable, traditional Moroccan food products, a feast for all the senses. Olive oil made in Morocco is distinctive from what's produced in other regions of the world and is sold all over the city. Talaa Kibeera is noted for shops selling locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables. There is also a souk in Rcif exclusively dealing in fresh fruits and vegetables. Boujloud is the place to go for all kinds of pastries, bread and chocolates. Ville Nouvelle has many good supermarkets where you can get all sorts of food stuffs as well as good beer and wine.