Souk el-Khemis is the big flea market of Marrakech. It stretches north of the medina, outside the city walls, over a few hundred metres beyond Bab el-Khemis, the "Thursday gate", named after the weekly market held there for centuries; camels and donkeys were once sold here. Today you can find everything: carved cedar doors, mashrabiya screens, brass lamps, old furniture, worn carpets, old telephones and sewing machines, but also second-hand clothes, household appliances and spare parts. Interior decorators and riad owners come here to hunt for finds. Far from the tourist souks of the centre, this is a working market, dusty and popular, where sellers are not pushy and often speak only Arabic. Next to it, carpenters', upholsterers' and coppersmiths' workshops restore and transform what is sold on the market.
Highlights
The stalls at the foot of the walls
Along the city wall, traders spread their goods on the ground or on tarpaulins: crockery, tools, fans, bathroom fittings, odds and ends. It is the liveliest part of the market, and the most unpredictable: everyday objects go for a few dozen dirhams, and now and then a rare piece turns up among the rest.
Bab el-Khemis and its koubba
The gate was built around 1126 under the Almoravid ruler Ali ibn Yusuf, then rebuilt in 1803-1804 by Sultan Moulay Slimane, as a marble inscription records. Right in front of it stands the koubba, the small domed mausoleum of a local saint, surrounded by stalls.
The second-hand shops
Further on, towards the car park, permanent shops pile up studded doors, painted chests, mirrors, lamps and furniture from the colonial or Art Deco period. Prices are higher than on the ground stalls, but the choice is more reliable for decoration.
The craftsmen's workshops
Around the market, carpenters, upholsterers and copper workers work in plain view. They repair second-hand furniture, make copies of old doors or produce pieces to order: a good place to watch wood and metal being worked without going through a souvenir shop.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Come in the morning, with small notes in dirhams: haggling is the rule, and a first offer of around 40 to 50% of the asking price is customary. Prices seen in October 2026 range from 20 DH for a small object to several thousand dirhams for an old door or a piece of furniture. Knowing the numbers in Arabic helps a lot, as few sellers speak French or English. For a bulky item, ask whether the seller can deliver to your riad or to a shipper, and check its condition on the spot: there is no guarantee and no returns. An object presented as old and of heritage value cannot leave Morocco without an authorisation from the Ministry of Culture.
How to get there
North of the medina, outside the walls, beyond Bab el-Khemis, on the road to the Palmeraie and Fez. By petit taxi from Jemaa el-Fna square: ask for "Bab el-Khemis" or "souk el-Khemis", on the meter (about 20 to 30 DH during the day). On foot: about 2.5 km, 30 to 35 minutes from Jemaa el-Fna square crossing the medina northwards, or from the Ben Youssef area.
Opening hours
Nearby
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