the souks of Marrakech

Marrakech in Morocco looks like a Hollywood film set. It is a city of ancient, sand-coloured buildings and palm trees in the middle of the desert.

in the centre is the main square, Jemaa el Fna. here you can see dancing snakes and drink Moroccan coffee. But behind the square is the real heart of the city. This is the souk( the arab word for market). Hundreds of little shops and stalls are open from early morning till lunchtime, and again in the evening. The souk, with its narrow, busy streets, is divided into lots of smaller souks, the gold and silver souk, and many more.

there's the carpet souk. Here, hundreds of handmade Moroccan rugs and carpets cover the pavements. No two rugs are the same. In Mr. Youssaf's rug shop, he invites you to sit down among all the beautiful carpets. A silver teapot arrives with little glasses and Mr. Youssaf talks about the different rugs, while his assistants roll them out one by one. Two hours later, after many glasses of traditional mint tea and lots of bargaining, you finally choose your rug and leave much poorer.Them it's time to return to the main square to watch the snakes and count your money.