10 Best Places to Shop in Fez el-Bali, Fez and the Middle Atlas

The first store from the award-winning Anou Cooperative showcases fair-trade shopping at its finest. Owned and managed by a group of more than 600 artisans from around Morocco, the cooperative was set up to cut out the middleman and give 100% of the price tag back to the makers—shop in the souks and the artisans only receive 4% on average, less than US$1 a day. Here, you can meet the artisans, try a workshop, or just shop till you drop for handcrafted rugs, jewelry, leatherwork, metalwork, carbon-negative yarn, and more; you can even design your own rug and have it delivered to your door. Ask about visiting some of their artisans around the country; or sign up for their week-long artist residencies if you want to learn how to create your own floor art.

At Le Jardin des Biehn’s bijoux boutique, contemporary Fassi designs—including handcrafted leather bags from Italian designer Alfred Berlin that use leather from the 11th-century tanneries—sit side by side with vintage boucherouite rag rugs, green-glazed pottery from Tamegroute, and classic caftans.

In the heart of the medina, this concept store stocks the work of predominantly Moroccan or Moroccan-based designers who are breathing fresh life into ancient crafts. Expect to find stylish bags and accessories from Les Maures Collection, shoes from CEO, T-shirts from Rock da Kasbah, housewares from Ytto, and Km 13’s purses and jewelry made from recycled tires. Fixed prices take the hassle out of haggling, too.

A family affair, this long-established carpet and antiques shop has been in the Bouzidi-Idrissi family for decades. Besides stocking tribal carpets in all hues and textures, from shaggy Beni Ourain to tightly woven hanbel, the store carries ornate silver jewelry, Fassi pottery, silk caftans, and antique wooden doors. They can ship everything to your door, too.

These two adjoining 13th-century fondouks are filled with artisans' workshops, including Fassi embroiderers, leathersmiths, and brass engravers, making it easy to buy directly from the artisans. Then use the elevator and head to the roof terrace for stunning medina views. Part of an ambitious project involving the Millennium Challenge Corporation, in which several long-abandoned fondouks—medieval inns built around a courtyard, where traveling merchants parked their animals on the ground floor, stored their goods, and slept upstairs—have been restored to their former glory, with soaring stone columns and fragrant cedarwood balconies. 

In this quaint shop, the shelves are stacked with herbs, spices, and all kinds of traditional beauty products such as argan oil, as well as flower extracts and medicinal plants. Ask for the ras el hanout spice mix to re-create Moroccan flavors at home. Cash is required for payment. 

Hundreds of handcrafted bronze, copper, and silver objects, antique and new, are sold at affordable prices.

Discover the intricate work of local embroiderers, including beautiful tablecloths and napkins.

The picturesque Place Seffarine is the place for all things metal: bowls, boxes, candleholders, and ornate lamps. You can watch the artisans as they rhythmically hammer the copper and brass into shape outside their workshops. For a ringside seat, stop for a mint tea break at the Crémerie La Place.

Shop for butter-soft leather bags, jackets, slippers, and poufs at this labyrinthine shop overlooking the tanneries. With enough time, you can get something made to order. Be sure to bargain hard.