Morocco Market Square, Oujda, Oriental Region, Morocco
On one side of the square stands a traditional North African market, or souk, selling food, spices, carpets, brass and wood works, and tourist trinkets. By day, orange juice and water vendors vie for business while the number of buskers, snake charmers, henna artists, medicine peddlers, monkey handlers, and traditional Chleuh dancers gathering on the square steadily increases. All through the day, and well into the night, the marketplace offers an eclectic variety of services such as dental care, traditional medicine, fortune-telling, henna tattooing, and storytelling for children. By nightfall, when the crowd reaches its peak, the entire square transforms into a sensory spectacle, as musicians begin arriving in force and countless food stalls set up their smokers and grills in the designated cooking area.
The bazaar is well known for its hundreds of colorful umbrellas that shield shoppers, performers, and merchants from the harsh North African sun. Surrounding the square there are also numerous hotels, restaurants, gardens, and cafés that allow people to escape the heat and chaos of the market, while still watching over its activities. As a market, theater, and public gathering place, Jemaa el-Fna is a repository of Moroccan cultural traditions both ancient and new. In 2001, UNESCO declared the site a “Masterpiece of World Heritage,” which has helped the market continue to thrive despite the development and modernization pressures of the 21st century.
Epic Morocco Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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