Rue Des Consuls

The Rue des Consuls is the craft souk of the city of Rabat and also overlooks the Kasbah des Oudayas.

Although not having the opulence and dimension of Marrakech or the art galleries of the medina of Essaouira, the souk of Rabat remains a very pleasant stroll in the capital.

The Rue des Consuls is the primary street of this souk and goes for more than a kilometer.

It was refurbished a couple of years earlier, covered as well as enhanced in the antique method. It is now tidy, spacious, clear, and much less jammed than the winding roads of Marrakech. You will not get lost in it!

The Medina of Rabat was founded in the 17th century by the Moriscos, the Andalusians eliminated from Spain by Philip III. This road takes its name from the fact that international diplomats were needed to reside there.

The reason for this is that the captives of the pirates as well as the corsairs of Salé were resold nearby, at Souk El Ghazal.

According to a treaty authorized with the Sultan, diplomats had the right to redeem these captives, and they were therefore kept alongside the "settlement zone". Louis Chénier, father of the poet André Chénier, was there for a couple of years, standing for the King of France.

He was so expert in working out the repurchase of French captives that he prompted the displeasure of the Sultan, who then required that he be returned to France! All kinds of Moroccan handicrafts are readily available on the Rue des Consuls.

You will certainly discover carpets, ceramics, wood, or stone items from all corners of Morocco, but there are also many jewelers whose specialty is silver.

Dig a little, and you will discover extremely stunning, distinct, and/or old pieces. Certainly, do not hesitate to haggle.