Navigating Souks: From the Medinas of Morocco to Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar
This article was first featured by Mountain Travel Sobek.
The marketplace is the heart of any city. Here a medley of sights, smells and sounds converge into a bustling energy that’s contagious to passersby. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the assortment of handiworks that pack the stalls, especially when the flow of the crowd surges you through corridors like salmon upstream. From the quiet of dawn, the souks transform into a humming epicenter where goods exchange hands and find their way to all corners of the globe. This is the place to feel like you’ve been transported to a different time, where bartering is the language of choice, and tuning into its different dialects is what gets you the best deal.
My first experience exploring a bazaar was in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. I remember feeling a rush of emotions. I wanted to see everything—buy everything, but at the same time, the concept of bartering induced a timid fear that I wouldn’t be aggressive enough to avoid getting ripped off. As my friend and I walked through the stalls each vendor tried their hand at getting our attention. Left and right we heard shouts of “Spice girls! Spice girls!” or the occasional “You dropped something…” only to turn around to a charming “my heart.” I had to give them points for humor.
Then came the offers of free tea and Turkish delight. My only exposure to Turkish delight had been from a scene in The Chronicles of Narnia where one of the characters, Edmund, gorges himself on the delicacy, with a ravenous appetite. But unlike Edmund, after passing the 50th shop imploring me to have a taste, I felt I might explode into powdered sugar. Stuffed to the brim, we felt on the verge of tears as we realized a polite “no” is not part of the vocabulary among vendors, especially when it comes to free samples.
When shops were successful at luring us inside, our eyes glazed over in awe at the sheer assortment of things that would make the Little Mermaid audibly gasp. Glittering light shops stood like art installations and walls were lined with a gallery of tapestries. Bags of spices infiltrated your senses, inspiring a new palette of cuisine. The tea shops were especially impressive having everything ranging from rose bud, sage, linden flower, and my favorite—apple. Those along with medicinal teas that helped with fertility and ailments, proved that there was a tea for everyone.
Leaving the Grand Bazaar that day I cherished my newfound souvenirs: an assortment of teas, flowing “harem” pants, and a tassle-lined rug small enough to fit in my carry-on.
After Istanbul, I was excited to explore the culture Morocco’s bazaars, so I headed to Fes and Rabat, two towns that provided a more relaxed atmosphere compared to frenetic Marrakech. Here stalls bursted with leather goods, ceramics, bronze mirrors, and dried fruits. Coming in with some fresh knowledge from my Moroccan friends, I put my bargaining hat on and was ready to go treasure hunting. This is where I truly learned the art of bargaining. While perusing a leather goods shop, I came across a backpack that called my name.
“Shahal taman?” (how much in Moroccan Arabic) I asked the vendor.
“Fifty dollars,” he replied.
“Rally bizef!” (too much) I said, shaking my head vigorously.
To which he laughed and said something along the lines of “oh, this isn’t your first rodeo.” We both nodded and let the games begin. Using the handful of phrases I had learned, a sense of confidence, and a smile, we began our verbal tango until we agreed on half his original asking price. We sealed the deal with a firm handshake and a grin, both satisfied that a good bargain was struck. That was the magic of Morocco—it wasn’t about getting the best price; the true joy was found in the clever back-and-forth banter and reading the pauses in between to find the balance between give and take.
The bazaars of Morocco and Turkey are among the most famous in the world, and although they have become hotbed for tourists, it doesn’t mean there aren’t deals to be had. By going through enough stalls you quickly learn that bargaining is a delicate dance between you and the seller. It’s a mix of: psychology—learning how to read people; cultural knowledge—understanding the customs and expected process; and a good attitude—in the end think of it as a game.
Here are some general tips on how to get into the rhythm of bargaining:
- Get to the souks early since shopkeepers are more interested in reaching their quotas in the morning than making a good profit.
- If you’re interested in something act coy and check out other items to dispel your excitement.
- Shop around to get to know the general prices of things and try to get the vendor to set the initial price to start bargaining from.
- If you want multiple items, use it as a bargaining chip at the end of your negotiations to get an even better price.
- Don’t stress out. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to and sometimes you get an even better offer by walking away.
- Always say please and thank you. Learning some simple phrases in the native language will go a long way and leave your negotiations on a good note.
- Have fun!
