Crafts: Simplicity & Creativity
Morocco is a land rich in culture and traditions, and one of them certainly concerns craftsmanship. Today, production meets contemporary production methods, which make it possible to transform a vast assortment of materials into highly decorative objects.
History of Moroccan crafts
Morocco's cultural richness also comes from traditional craftsmanship, which has existed for several years in a more designer version. Diverse and varied materials are finely worked by hand, with machines and tools that have remained largely traditional, to make decorative and everyday objects. Tableware, furniture, jewelry and clothing, you will certainly be tempted to bring back some Moroccan souvenirs!
Marrakech,, a city with thousand faces, deserves to be discovered place by place, in order not to miss any aspect of the secrets it hides. It is above all a country with a rich past, where traditions are deeply rooted.
Moroccan art can be classified into two categories: urban and rural. There are cities of art, rich with important traditions from the East or from Muslim Spain. The oriental influence is particularly focused on the creation of carpets, textiles and embroidery, while the Andalusian tradition is still seen in the arts of ceramics, metal, wood and leather.
Berber or rural art has a more ancient and "primitive" origin. Objects often have a utilitarian function: furniture, tools, utensils essential to daily life, and some community decorations.
Crafts in Marrakech are rooted in tradition. Everyone transmits their creativity to the next generation and those who learn it, use it to create veritable cultural industries. The craftsmen of Marrakech are not only the curators of their traditions but seek to enrich their cultural heritage and adapt to the demands of contemporary society. Indeed, the crafts of Marrakech are very rich and lively.
Wood, metal, copper, wool, stone and clay have been used for centuries. Adapted to modern life, the artisanal production of Marrakech, just like its traditions, offers a wide range of products ranging from the art of filigree to the simplest everyday utensils.
City of production
For a very long time, Marrakech has produced a wide range of products. In Fez and Marrakech, entire districts are reserved for tanners: bags, accessories, slippers, poufs, terracotta vases covered with leather straps and saddles.
The best products in the market
Moroccan rugs
In the regions of Rabat, Fez and Tétouan, a whole palette of Moroccan crafts is at your disposal, including carpets that are in the limelight in the medinas. Original and complex patterns, sometimes in the center, sometimes on the edges, depending on their use, are indeed magnificent. In Morocco, the value of a rug is closely linked to the number of knots and the patterns that compose it, even if it is necessary to distinguish the urban rug from the rural rug!
Traditional clothes
Traditional Moroccan clothing is still worn on special occasions and important ceremonies. They are brought back to the market with a touch of innovation. Certainly, to create a 100% Moroccan outfit, you can combine the traditional caftan with Moroccan slippers (Babouches). It is precisely the textile products that best represent the Moroccan tradition, but also adapt to new stylistic trends.
Try the famous caftan now! Slippers are also the symbol of typical Moroccan clothing. This fashion is available in all styles, and many designers offer particular designs and contemporary models!
Jewelry
Do you want to leave with original handmade Jewelry ? Marrakech and its surroundings are full of sumptuous Amazigh jewelry! You will find them in particular in the medina, next to the Jemaa El Fna square. Many silver jewels are also made in cities like Guelmim, Agadir, Essaouira, Tiznit or Taroudant. In gold or silver, they are made by craftsmen and sold in the souks of the old medinas.
For jewelry lovers, Morocco has a production of handicrafts with a distinctive style. If it's a precious souvenir you're looking for, the best place to find it is Marrakech and its surroundings, where you can match true masterpieces of Berber jewelry.
Ceramics and pottery
In Rabat, pottery illustrates the intertwining of Amazigh and Andalusian cultures. Ceramics also mark its presence. The shapes and colors used vary depending on the region: blue patterns in Fez, yellow in Safi and green in Meknes. Go to Safi to discover unique multicolored ceramics. In Azemmour, craftswomen have their own structure. In Sale, don't miss a visit to the pottery complex, the Oulja.
Wrought iron
Since metalworking is a deeply rooted activity, Morocco is also an ideal destination for those who wish to buy for themselves or offer objects with an original style. Let's mention the picture frames, or the beautiful Moroccan lamps which, thanks to the light and the openwork, project arabesque motifs into the room. Copper, silver and brass are other materials that often characterize Moroccan objects, with which candlesticks, lanterns, lampshades and mirrors are made.
In Marrakech, Fez or Safi, discover icons of Moroccan ironwork: candelabras, lanterns, mirrors or lampshades will fit perfectly into your interior. In Fez, Marrakech or Sale sumptuous objects woven in basketry, raffia and palm trees.
Marquetry and Juniper wood
In Essaouira, you can buy objects made of juniper, a precious wood from the Atlas Mountains. For centuries, wooden decoration has been a Moroccan craft specialty that knows its place in the world of decoration. In the same vein, it is marquetry, decorations in typical wooden plates, which can be found everywhere in Morocco.
Plaster and Zellige
Regarding the plaster creations, they are visible among others in the riads. It is an essential element of Moroccan architecture. Another artistic characteristic of Morocco: the zelliges. Find these mosaics throughout the country, on traditional objects or in innovative creations! The zellige Moroccan capital? It is undoubtedly the city of Fez! Buy a multitude of marvels in the small typical shops.
Copper objects
In Fez, Marrakech and Tetouan, copper objects are in the spotlight: frames, pots, knockers, lamps and many other objects are finely worked on copper, silver or brass. Known and internationally recognized Moroccan designers have appropriated these objects, of which there are modern versions today.
Tannery & leather goods
In the old medinas of Morocco, and in particular in the medina of Fez, leather objects are in the souks. The tanneries of Fez come from old tanneries that look like a palette of watercolors. In the tanneries of Fez, the skins of cows, goats and sheep are used for the manufacture of leather articles. Coats, shoes, and bags. These are true icons of traditional crafts.
Traditional tableware in tajine (tagine)
It is in Fez and Safi that the famous ceramics are made. Sale specializes in pottery with multicolored enamel patterns. Among the products of the potters, it is the cooking utensils for the tagine that have marked me the most. Tajine or tagine - the Berbers say tajine - is a North African dish that takes its name from the special clay pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tajine pot is made entirely of heavy clay, sometimes painted or glazed, depending on the region of Morocco.It consists of two parts: the lower part is a kind of saucer, flat and round with low sides, and the upper part (lid) is a cone or dome-shaped lid.
Handmade pottery products
During cooking, the lid remains on the lower part until the food (e.g. vegetables, millet, different kinds of meat) is cooked (ready to cook) due to the heat and condensation that results. In Moroccan cuisine, tajines are slow simmered dishes that come in many variations and are cooked at a low temperature, which gives the meat a particularly tender note and the vegetables, with the sauce, a lovely aroma. Other pottery products include vases, bowls of all sizes and pots for the garden, often artistically painted.
Stones
The soft stone of Taroudant is used to make candlesticks, boxes, etc. and engrave them with patterns. Semi-precious stones from the mountains, such as quartz, amethyst and manganese crystal, are sold along the roads.
Embroidery
The most famous are the midnight blue embroideries of Fez, but those of Rabat, Sale, Meknes, Azemmour and Tetouan also have good reputation.
There are two types in Morocco, both of which have an infinite number of characteristics and types: Traditional rural carpets and urban carpets. Another precious memory: the lamps, available everywhere in Morocco, of different styles and sizes, of different colors, with electric lighting and in countless designs. This souvenirs will make your journey unforgotten!
Arts of Morocco
The various art forms in Morocco have developed based on traditional Moroccan architecture. Indeed, the architecture allows artists and artisans to produce beautiful masterpieces. It goes without saying that Morocco is full of a multitude of quality Moroccan products, much of which are produced in cities like Fez and Marrakech.