“A medina quarter (Arabic: المدينة القديمة‎ al-madīnah al-qadīmah “the old city“) is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. The medina is typically walled, with many narrow and maze-like streets. The word “medina“ (Arabic: مدينة‎ madīnah) itself simply means “city“ or “town“ in modern day Arabic.

Marrakech has the largest traditional Berber market in Morocco and the image of the city is closely associated with its souks. These are “a honeycomb of intricately connected alleyways, this fundamental section of the old city is a micro-medina in itself, comprising a dizzying number of stalls and shops that range from itsy kiosks no bigger than an elf‘s wardrobe to scruffy store-fronts that morph into glittering Aladdin‘s Caves once you‘re inside.” Historically the souks of Marrakech were divided into retail areas for particular goods such as leather, carpets, metalwork and pottery. These divisions still roughly exist but with significant overlap. Many of the souks sell items like carpets and rugs, traditional Muslim attire, leather bags, and lanterns. Haggling is still a very important part of trade in the souks.”

A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A BBC Scotland Short

May 9th, 2017

An Experimental Short Film.

May 9^th, 2017