Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lots of the 'amber' you'll see in the souqs is plastic. The genuine article will have a faint in-
cense smell when you light a match near it, and a slightly waxy feel.
Woodwork
The most pleasingly scented part of the souq is the woodworkers' area, aromatic from the
curls of wood carpeting the floors of master-carvers' workshops. These are the
mâalems
responsible for the ancient carved, brass-studded cedar doors and those carved cedar
muqarnas
(honeycomb) domes that cause wonderment in Moroccan palaces. Tetouan,
Meknès and Fez have the best reputations for carved wood ornaments, but you'll see im-
pressive woodwork in most Moroccan medinas.
For the gourmets on your gift list, hand-carved orangewood
harira
(soup) spoons are
small ladles with long handles that make ideal tasting spoons. Cedar is used for ornate
jewellery boxes and hefty chip-carved chests are sure to keep the moths at bay. The most
prized wood is thuya wood, knotty burl from the roots of trees indigenous to the Essaouira
region. Buy from artisans' associations that practise responsible tree management and har-
vesting.
