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Shopping Guide
Meknes Shopping Guide
Imperial city treasures: Morocco's best olives, damascene gold-inlay metalwork, traditional embroidery, and the calmest souk shopping in the country.
Quick Tips
Prices: 30–40% cheaper than Marrakech
Best time: Morning (9 AM–noon)
Must-try: Olive market
What to Buy in Meknes
Olives & Olive Oil
10–50 MAD per kgMeknes is Morocco's olive capital. The market near Place el-Hedim has an extraordinary selection: green olives, black olives, cracked olives, olives stuffed with peppers or almonds, spiced olives with preserved lemons and herbs, and olive oil pressed from local groves. The variety is unmatched anywhere else in Morocco. Vendors let you taste before buying. Olive oil from the Saiss plain is fruity and mild — different from the peppery Rif oil. Buy oil in sealed bottles for transport.
Olive stalls near Place el-Hedim and throughout the medina food soukTip: Taste at least 5–6 varieties before buying — the spiced and stuffed olives are Meknes specialities
Damascene Metalwork
50–2,000+ MADMeknes's most distinctive craft. Damascene work (damasquinage) involves inlaying thin gold or silver wire into engraved steel. The result: intricate geometric patterns on trays, plates, boxes, letter openers, and decorative swords. The technique was brought by Andalousian refugees and perfected in Meknes over centuries. The workshops near the Dar Jamai Museum let you watch artisans at work. Quality ranges from simple tourist pieces to museum-quality art. This is a genuine Meknes speciality — hard to find elsewhere.
Damascene workshops near Dar Jamai Museum and in the medina metalwork soukTip: Watch the artisans work — the process of hammering gold wire into engraved channels is fascinating and helps you appreciate fair pricing
Traditional Embroidery
50–500 MADMeknes has its own embroidery tradition — distinctive from Fes, Rabat, or Sale. The Meknessi style uses geometric cross-stitch patterns in single colours (traditionally dark blue or green on white cotton). Tablecloths, cushion covers, napkins, and decorative wall hangings are available in the medina textile shops. The embroidery cooperatives sell directly and guarantee hand-made quality. Machine-made copies exist but lack the slight irregularities that mark genuine handwork.
Textile shops in the medina souk and embroidery cooperativesTip: Genuine hand-embroidered pieces have slight variations in stitch size — perfectly uniform work is machine-made
Medina Leather Goods
30–300 MADBags, babouches (slippers), belts, and wallets in the medina leather shops. Meknes leather is comparable to Fes quality but prices are 20–30% lower because of less tourist traffic. The leather souk behind Bab Mansour has the widest selection. Babouches are the best buy — 30–100 MAD for handmade slippers that cost double in Marrakech. The leather goods are practical souvenirs that age well.
Leather souk behind Bab Mansour and along the main medina streetTip: Babouches at 30–100 MAD are the best-value leather buy — get several pairs in different colours
Spices & Local Wine
10–80 MADThe spice stalls in the medina sell ras el hanout, cumin, saffron, dried herbs, and preserved lemons at local prices. Meknes is also at the centre of Morocco's wine-producing region — the Saiss plain and surrounding hills produce Morocco's best wines (Château Roslane, Domaine de la Zouina). Wine is available at licensed shops in the Ville Nouvelle. The combination of olive oil, spices, and wine makes Meknes Morocco's most food-focused shopping destination.
Spice stalls in the medina food souk; wine at licensed shops in the Ville NouvelleTip: Meknes wines are excellent value — 50–150 MAD for bottles that compete with European wines at 3x the price
Ceramics & Pottery
15–150 MADPlates, bowls, tagine pots, and decorative tiles. Meknes pottery tends to be more rustic than Fes or Sale — earthier colours and simpler designs reflecting the agricultural region. Some pottery comes from nearby workshops; some from Fes. The prices are lower than Fes for similar quality. The medina craft shops stock a range from tourist-grade to genuine artisan pieces. Look for the heavier, hand-thrown pots with uneven glazing — those are locally made.
Pottery and craft shops in the medina and the Ensemble ArtisanalTip: The Ensemble Artisanal has fixed prices for pottery — check there first to benchmark before bargaining in the medina
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Meknes famous for buying?
Meknes is Morocco's olive capital — the surrounding Saiss plain produces some of the country's best olives and olive oil. Shopping specialties: olives (dozens of varieties — green, black, cracked, spiced, stuffed), damascene metalwork (the art of inlaying gold and silver wire into steel — trays, boxes, swords, decorative pieces), traditional embroidery (Meknes has its own distinctive embroidery style), and general medina crafts (leather, textiles, spices). The medina souks are less touristy than Fes or Marrakech, with genuinely local pricing.
Is shopping in Meknes worth it?
Yes — Meknes offers some of Morocco's best-value shopping. As a less-touristed imperial city, prices are significantly lower than Marrakech or Fes (typically 30–40% cheaper for comparable items). The medina souks cater to locals, so starting prices are more reasonable and bargaining is less aggressive. The olive market near Place el-Hedim is a unique experience — nowhere else in Morocco has the same concentration and variety. Damascene metalwork is a Meknes speciality you won't find easily elsewhere.
Where are the best shops in Meknes?
The best shopping areas in Meknes: the medina souks behind Bab Mansour (the main souk street with leather, textiles, and crafts), the olive market near Place el-Hedim (Morocco's best olive shopping), the damascene metalwork workshops (near the Dar Jamai Museum), the Ensemble Artisanal (government-fixed prices), and Place el-Hedim itself (the main square with food stalls and vendors). The medina is compact — the entire souk area can be covered in 2 hours.