Agadir Travel Forum

Hi...we'll be in Agadir in March, 2008

I'd like to purchase a small Moroccan made rug while there. Any suggestions as to where to find such a purchase?

Thank You!

there are lots of shops in agadir selling rugs. there are two types, either the wool type which can be a little expensive and the kilim which are much lighter and cost from about £20. personally i would travel to a village where they make the rugs, you could see them being made and they would cost a lot less.there were some small carpet shops in taradountwhich i thought were very good.
pros and cons of the wool rug, expensive but will last a lifetime.
pro and cons of the kilim,cheap but sometimes the colour runs.
anyway, im sure you will have fun choosing. happy holidays. laney

Find them? The place is overrun with the things. The problem is paying a fair price. There may well be a government -sponsored crafts centre in Agadir: visiting this would give you an idea of what things are worth.

Thank you, Laney and TheLongTone....for your helpful information. I have been researching the rugs...and you both have valid points....value and fair price. I will have to try to get a fair cost so that I can pay a fair price.

I would dearly like one, but sensibilty must rule.

Have a great rest of the week.

Joyce

Well if you've beenresearching it a bit you've got a start & propably know the Moroccans are hard bargainers...good luck & hve a good trip.

There are sellers in Souk el Had who will have no end of rugs but bear in mind that there are different categories. You could try the side streets in the Talborjt region for small shops or to give you a good idea before any haggling ensues, go the Uniprix on Ave Hassan II. This is a fixed price shop so no haggling allowed and you will get a good idea of prices, although items tend to be somewhat more expensive here but they do have a large assortment for those not wishing to haggle in the shops or market.
In a decent size shop you will find different styles depending on the origin, Tuareg, Berber etc, materials used - silk, wool etc and whether they are hand woven or machine made.
I understand hand woven do not need to be declared at customs on enterring your country but machine made do.
Of course the price is all important too; to give you an idea, I recently bought two silk rugs, hand woven, Tuareg design (made by desert nomads, size 21" x 38" and heavyweight for 100Dh each, that's around £6.20 or €9 each. I think they were a good price hence there was little haggling.
The theory is that whatever you are quoted, offer half or even one third and take it from there.

Thank you so much, John. That really helps me to start thinking about prices. I'm not looking for a large rug...just something that will fit into the suitcase..and will give me great memories of my trip. I would like a silk or wool rug, preferably hand made.
Thank you for naming street and shop names...that will really help in telling the guide where I'd like to go.
You've been very helpful!

Thanks to you too, Longtone.....I am very looking forward to this trip...have never been in countries such as Morocco...will be very different!

I take it that this is your first visit to Agadir, if not Morocco?
You really do not need a guide as Agadir is easy to navigate on foot and essentially has only three main roads all running parallel.
You would be wiser to use the money for something like the two hour city tour which will show you the main sites for very little outlay.
All you need is the location of key places like shops, restaurants and notable sites like the Kasbah, port, souk etc to visit again after the city tour.
A good map also helps; these are not easy to find although I can supply one.

Good to see you on VT John :)

Thank you, John. I am on a cruise and with a group...someone has arranged a tour for the day. We're going to tour Agadir and another town about an hour away. We'll be visiting a souk and some other interesting places. From pictures that I've seen on people's VT pages....Agadir and Morocco is beautiful..I'm really looking forward to seeing it for myself.
A map would be really nice and I thank you for offering one..but I probably won't need one...I'm sure our tour guide knows his way around....I hope...LOL :)

Have a wonderful weekend!