Marrakech (Part 4): The Souks

The souks of Marrakech were a feast for the senses and a shoppers delight.  Leather, iron and tin work, silks, and textiles all worked by hand.  Artisians worked their craft and sold their goods in little shops no bigger than a US style walk-in closet.  These men were wonderfully talented and the craftmanship was at times exceptional.

I did get an sense of how hard a life these men live.  They work with toxic and caustic materials which leave them in an early grave.  Master tailors frequently go blind due to the years of strain on their eyes working elaborate embroidery. 

Each work of art produced by these hard working men had elements of joy and tragedy.

Tin  Smith

Wool yarn hanging to dry



The boiling cauldren and wood burning furnace for coloring yarn



Dyes

 A wholesale leather market.  These men are bidding on tanned hides.

These photos were all taken in the souk surrounding the Medersa Ben Youssef, or in English, The Koran School.  Our guide said there were 3,500 artisian shops in this souk alone.  The winding dark alleys went on for miles.  It was the one place in the city I wish we had spent more time.