In the Souks/Suqs

A suq/souk is really just a shop. In Marrakesh there is a whole area

where lots of little shops are all clustered together.

In fact it's a sort of labyrinth of delights.

Many of the little lanes have wood slats in the roof to prevent the sun shining too brightly

and creating wonderful shadows.

So very many different things to see and buy! Jewels and pottery

and metalwork and tea glasses and scarves and baskets......

...but best of all leather slippers that Alladin or Princess Jasmine would envy

in every color and design under the sun......

Buying Food

Larkspur and roses early in the morning at the covered market near the metalworkers' square.

The butcher was happy to pose in his shop. His turkey sausages are delicious.

My favorite place to buy fruit and vegetables.

It's all astoundingly fresh and plentiful.

You can buy chickens there too and rabbits and fish.

Lots of the stalls have hand-painted signs.

Here the light shines through the slats onto the workers' bikes and mopeds. 

Looking Upwards

Moroccan ceilings are very often elaborately decorated.
I used to think that they were painted in situ - like Michaelangelo did the Sistine Chapel.



But, in fact,they are painted at ground level and then put up later.
These first two pictures are from Dar Mimoun.



The last three pictures are from the Bahia Palace - where you can see wonderful examples of all sorts of painted surfaces. Here the shape of the lamp echoes the sklight.



Because there really aren't windows on to the outside world, it would a be a delight to look out through the roof.



There is a lot of painted cut plasterwork too.