One of the first things Pat and I decided when we were planning our trip to Morocco was that we were going to buy a carpet while there. Morocco is known for its hand woven carpets and rugs and we thought that if we were ever going to make this investment, what better time than our honeymoon?
You can find rugs in Morocco to fit all budgets, from under $100 to in the thousands. It all depends on how hard you bargain and the quality you are looking for. Pat and I are not experts by any means, but this was our personal experience buying carpets in Morocco.
We actually got quite a bit more experience than we were expecting, as we ended up with not one, but three, rugs by the end of our two week trip! We bought two rugs in Fez and one in Marrakech. We also visited at least 20 different rug places to find the right carpets for us.
At all costs, avoid bringing a guide with you on your carpet shopping trip. We had two different places tell us that guides get 15% of the final sale price, which means that your bargaining power is reduced by 15% before you even walk in the door.
We started looking in Chefchaouen, where the prices were much better than elsewhere, however they had mainly woven carpets in the Berber style, which are more like thick blankets than real carpets. We were more interested in the traditional carpets.
Buying a carpet is a bit like speed dating. At first there is a big show where everyone drinks (mint tea) and you see a lot of options in rapid succession to help narrow down what you are looking for.
The carpet vendor unveils the rugs with fanfare and it’s your job to decide to “haali” (keep it) or “ishmaa” (take it away). You narrow down your pile and the parade of rugs starts to slow down as the assistants dig through the massive piles of carpets to find one that fits your requests. “Like that but without the blue.” Like that but smaller.” If only dating was this easy.
Eventually you find the rug. The others get cleared away and now the real business begins.
No one has mentioned anything about price yet, but there have been murmurs about your “expensive taste” and “museum quality”. You know you’re in trouble now.
“This rug, look at this fine rug,” your host tells you. “Feel the knots. This is hand-woven. Machine woven carpets pull apart when you pull on them like this.” He brings out his lighter and tries to light this precious rug on fire. “You see this? Made from the finest wool! You drop a cigarette on it and there will be no hole. Not like those rugs from factories!”
The first price is named. It’s more than you pay for a month’s rent back home. Your head spins a little but you counter with a price that is so low you almost blush. Your host threatens to end the conversation right there. This is art! The woman who wove this carpet has to feed her family!
“Give me a serious price,” he says. “What is your serious price? This is a rug that you will share with your children. And your children’s children!”
You increase your price a fractional amount. You really can’t spend even a half month’s rent on a rug! Imagine! But it’s an investment. What a memento to have. And the quality!
This goes back and forth for several rounds and you realize that you’re not even close to the budget you sent. You turn to your husband and say, “Babe, we can’t afford this, we have to keep looking.” Just the action of standing to leave puts your host into a panic. The price drops more this time than it has in all the previous rounds combined.
They know that the moment you step foot outside their door is the moment the sale is gone forever. There are too many carpets, too many rug shops and too many deals for any promise to return to ever come to fruition. They need to lock you down.
“What is your maximum price?” By now your number is $200 over the budget you sent and your host is offering a price that is less than half of what you started with.
You turn to leave one more time and exacerbated, your host gives his final offer. “Ok, ok, you want to pay $500, fine, give me $580 and we will have a deal.”
You shake and sign the papers. Cash exchanges hands. One of the assistants starts the packing process. Your rug is tightly sewn into thick plastic to get it ready for the trip home.
You’re exhilarated and a little nauseous at the fact that you just spent that much money on a rug! “The @#*&$! thing better not be a knock-off,” you think to yourself. You consider having it appraised when you get home, but then realize it’s probably better to not ask questions you don’t want the answers too.
You found your rug and that’s your happily ever after. At the end of the day, that’s the whole point, right?
Where to Buy Moroccan Rugs in Morocco
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few stores that sell Moroccan carpets that we shopped at during our search for the perfect rug!
Moroccan Carpet Shops in Fez
Coin Berbere
Bouzidi Idrissi Freres
67 Talaa Kebira Haddadine
Fez Medina
[email protected]
Tel: +212.535.636.946
Ali’s Art Gallery
17, Souiket Dahbane
Sagha Dez Medina
[email protected]
Tel: +212.0535.63.55.12 or +212.0535.64.51.44
Moroccan Carpet Stores in Marrakech
Chez Lahna
19, Derb N’khel Rahba Lakdima
Marrkech Medina
[email protected]
Tel: +05.24.44.51.91 or +05.24.42.69.10
Artisant Du Sud (Rugs + Custom wool blankets made to size)
100, Rahba el Kadima Sidi Ishak
Marrakech Medina
[email protected]
Tel: +212.024.445.542
Other stories from our Moroccan adventure:
A Day by the Sea in Asilah, Morocco
Magical Blue-Hued Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen – Our Favorites
Northern Morocco Road Trip
Visiting the Fez Tanneries
Moulay Yacoub Spa in Fez
The Hustle & Bustle of the Fez Medina
A Close Shave in Marrakech
This is really great post with beautiful photography. One thing that is important to keep in mind though are the people, most likely women, who make the rugs. Many resellers only pay the artisans the price of the materials to make the rug, so unfortunately not even enough for an artisan to feed their family. So when bargaining with resellers, do specifically ask who made it and where it was made. If they stutter, walk away. Another tip is to ask two separate people in the shop the same question and see if you get difference answers. You can even push and ask two separate people how much the artisans were paid to make the rug. If there is a big discrepancy or they refuse to answer, well, they’ve indirectly answered your question. There are some, but unfortunately few, resellers who truly take care of the artisans they source from so do your best to find these resellers. Of course, you can avoid all of this by using websites like http://www.theanou.com, which was founded by US Peace Corps Volunteers, and is owned and managed by artisans themselves. With sites like these, artisans list the products they made at their own prices so you can get a great item while ensuring the artisan was paid properly. Hope this helps!
I have looked at the anou website – it looks like a very good way of buying. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The money goes to the artisans. Fair trade.
Hi! What size rug did you buy? Were you easily able to check it for the plane ride home?
The largest rug was about 5×7′. It’s amazing how small they are able to roll them up. We were able to check it easily and we had no issues with during our travel.
Thanks for e great post! How much was the 5×7 rug? I’m going next weekend to Marrakech and am in the market to buy a rug. This would just help me make my budget.
About $850 but you can really spend anything from hundreds to thousands of dollars!
This helps a ton! Thank you for your help:)
Not to sound like a troll, but the fact that the author was looking for ‘Persian’ carpets in Morocco is a telltale sign that she had no idea what she was doing (Persian carpets are from Iran, not Morocco!). Asking a Moroccan rug seller for a Persian rug is like going to a trattoria in Italy and trying to order ramen noodles.
My advice is before you go to Morocco, familiarize yourself with the typical types of rugs you will see at a good shop (Beni Ourain, Beni M’gild, Azilal…etc). Know the difference between what a vintage and new production carpet looks and feels like. Doing so is not very difficult, and can actually open a window to the culture and history of Morocco that will enhance your overall experience in the country.
In my experience, the best place to buy carpets (largest selection) is the carpet souk in Marakech. Prices will vary depending on a number of factors (type, age, condition, design, size….etc) and therefore it is difficult to advise what you should expect to spend. That said, if you are serious about buying, I advise that you look at prices at reputable shops in Europe (http://www.berber-arts.com) or the US and figure that the prices for similar rugs will be 1/3 -1/2 of the price in Morocco. For example, a large Beni M’gild may costs around 3000 euros in Europe and about 1200 euros in Marrakech. Beni Ourain or Azilal carpets are in high demand and will cost considerably more.
Walking into a random carpet store in a touristy souk knowing nothing about Moroccan carpets or prices will inevitably lead to disappointment. And remember, Morocco is like anywhere else in the world in that you get what you pay for. If you are looking to spend close to nothing, you shouldn’t expect much of anything in return.
Hi Mert! Thanks so much for the tips and for your opinions. I hope it doesn’t come off as me trying to portray myself as an expert in this post. In fact, this is one of the first sentences in the article itself: “Pat and I are not experts by any means, but this was our personal experience”. 🙂
Thanks again for stopping by!
So can you explain how the carpets differ and briefly how Moroccan carpets are made? I am going in three weeks.
Thanks
Fred Lucia
Hi there! The 5th last image, the one just before the look image of the white rug with brown markings…was this one in Marrakech? It’s gorgeous!! We are in Marrakech right now on the rug hunt!
I think that was Fez but these photos were taken 5 years ago so I’m not sure it would be helpful either way. 🙂
This actually sounds like a fairly good experience to me. Ours however, not so much. Our tour guide (Insight Tours, The Best of Morocco) took the entire tour group to Fes Carpets Cooperative in Fes, a supposedly Insight approved shop. We and others in our group were harshly berated to buy a rug to help out the widows and children the rugs were acquired from. They were extremely hard sell, pushy and as we found out in Marrakesh dishonest, including our tour director/guide. We were under the illusion that we were bargaining in U.S. Dollars. Always we would respond to price offered in “X-Dollars”. However when we checked our credit card purchases the rug was about 18% over the negotiated price. They had submitted it in Euros. Not only will they not even discuss this with us, neither will our tour guide. They’re all together in they’re little scam. We’ve started a dispute with our credit card company concerning this. So heads up fellow travelers!
So interesting! My family have recently relocated to South West France and have been taking about going on a roadtrip to Morocco to buy carpets. Your post has inspired me to try to make it happen!
http://www.thislifeisbelle.com
Awesome! I love having the carpets as a memory of Morocco. Every time I look at them I think of that awesome trip!
Just found your blog, after searching the internet for days, trying find a particular rug. I bought a “Persian” style rug about 6 years ago. We were touring Tangiers while vacationing in Barcelona. My rug is very much like the one in the picture…..under the jean clad guy. I’ve always wanted a similar one, and the one in your blog is it! I realize it’s been a awhile since your visit to Morocco, but I’m on a quest. Any suggestions about where to purchase?
I wish I could be more help but it’s been too long! 🙁
I loved your posts about Morocco! I’ve been to Marrakesh many times but still have so much to discover so love reading other people’s experiences and tips. You seem to have fully embraced Morocco and all its quirks and delight and not been fazed by its mayhem!