Souk vs. Medina

Two of my favorite places in Morocco--the souk and the medina. The souk is an outdoor market. The word medina actually just means city in Arabic, but in this case, I'm referring to the walled area found in many North African cities. Because I have greatly enjoyed spending time in both areas, I wanted to share a description of both.

Medina: The medina is the old part of a town or city, usually surrounded by walls. Because of these walls, most medinas are car free as there is not enough room for them to pass through the narrow alley ways, some of which are only one meter wide.

a narrow street in Fez

Donkeys, carts, bikes and motorcycles are used to transport goods. There are mosques, schools, shops, fountains, hammams, homes--basically all the components of a normal neighborhood. The Fez Medina is the biggest in the world (also making it among the biggest urban car free areas in the world), with over 200,000 people living and working inside.

a door into the Fez medina 

Life in the medina has a rhythm. The mornings are quiet as shop owners begin opening their stalls and setting out merchandise. Whenever I walk through the medina in the morning, I'm surprised by how wide the streets are in comparison to when they are full of stands and people later in the day. The shops generally close up again for lunch time, and reopen between 3-4. As the sun sets, the medina floods with people.

spices in Rabat

The medina is somewhat chaotic--everyone jostled together, trying to move down the street, the scent of street food, the calls of vendors, the fluorescent lights illuminating a huge variety of goods. From traditional crafts to knock off designer bags and clothes, you can find anything and everything in the medina if you know where to look. Though I could still get lost in the the Rabat medina, I have been able to orient myself through hours of exploration in the past six months. I have my favorite chebeckia (a Moroccan sweet) shop and I know where I can stock up on pirated movies. Also, there are various souks throughout the medina--for instance, the carpet souk, selling specific crafts.

an area with traditional goods in the Rabat medina

I enjoyed reading this article about life in a medina. It points out that, after independence, many wealthy and influential families moved out of the medina to the new city, leaving the medina to the poor. Overcrowding in medinas has put stress on water supplies and sewage points. However, the article also states:  "there is cause for optimism. Unesco is working in partnership with the World Bank and the Italian government  to try to keep the medina as a working structure, keeping the medieval craft traditions alive – it is the survival of these trades that contributes to the survival of the medina itself."

A rise in tourism and in the number of expats living in the medina is also a source of optimism. I have so many wonderful memories of exploring medinas across Morocco this year, and I hope that the medina continues to live on. 

 Now for the souk:

Unlike the medina, the souk is a temporary structure--it goes up in the morning and down later in the day, and nobody lives there permanently. A souk is located in an empty field, and just like the medina, sells a variety of things, including carpets, used clothes, livestock, and fresh produce. I love the used clothes section--the clothes are brought on trucks from Europe, and I've found Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, and Old Navy items!

The best time to go souk-ing is in the morning, as it generally closes down for lunch. It's interesting to see the differences in goods between souks in various areas. For instance, the souk in Khemissett specializes in carpets, and the souk in Azrou had some cedar goods, because the area is known for cedar trees. I'm looking forward to visiting a souk in the south this coming week! 

Some souks take place weekly, such as the Souk Al Khmiss in Sale (Thursdays) or the souk in Azrou on Tusedays. In rural areas, this might be the one day of the week that people leave their villages and stock up on what they need for the coming days. They might also brings homemade goods with them to sell. The souk is great place to buy homemade olive oil. People might come on foot, by bus, or even in a horse drawn carriage (of sorts), called a coochi. 

In the souk, there are restaurants, serving up tea and raif (Morcocan crepes). These restaurants are simple tents and benches, and are a great place to relax and watch the chaos of the souk, which can be overwhelming at times. I find I enjoy both the souk and the medina most when it's first thing in the morning, I've had a good night's sleep, and I'm ready to take on the adventure. 

Speaking of adventures, I'm headed off for five days of exploring the south of Morocco (Marrakesh and Essaouira) with my fellow YES Abroaders and our fearless leader Sarah! Inchallah I will ride a camel, stories and pictures to come!