Place Ferblantiers Marrakech

What is the tinsmiths' square of Marrakech, and why should you stop there?

Place des Ferblantiers, known to Marrakchis as Place Lakzadria, is the square of the tinsmiths and lantern makers, in the south of the Medina between the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, and the El Badi Palace. Its name comes from the ferblantiers, the tinsmiths who once filled it with shops of tin-plate pots, buckets and household goods. Today craftsmen still hammer, cut and punch metal into lanterns, trays and mirrors in the workshops around the square, while cafés and terraces open onto its palm trees. It's the natural meeting point between the Bahia Palace, the El Badi Palace, the Mellah and the Kasbah, about 15 minutes on foot from Jemaa el-Fna. Our Private Medina Walking Tour crosses the square on the way to the Mellah, and our Private Souks Shopping Tour takes you to the lantern makers we trust.

Private Medina Walking Tour

Your own local guide, every day at 9 am or 2 pm, about 3 hours, with pickup at your riad.

Included a relaxing stop at a traditional herbalist and spice cooperative, just to learn, with no obligation to buy, with a bottle of mineral water, a cup of mint tea and a small souvenir, all complimentary.

See prices and details on our Private Medina Walking Tour page.

Message Us On WhatsApp or use our Booking Form.

The square is quiet in the morning. Then the first hammer starts, somewhere under an arcade, tap, tap, tap on a sheet of brass, and another one answers from the next workshop. A craftsman sits on a low stool with a lantern between his knees, punching tiny holes in a pattern he knows by heart. Above the old walls of the El Badi Palace, the storks clatter their beaks on their huge nests. Our guests often sit here with a mint tea and say it's the calmest square in the Medina.

Visit Marrakech Medina, The Best Shopping and Walking Tour Company in Marrakech, has guided travelers through the Medina since 2004. Our Medina walking tour is featured by Daniel Jacobs in The Rough Guide To Morocco, which says our guide “guarantees (unlike most guides) not to stop at any shops”. Our guiding is also Recommended By Rick Steves.

Choose your tour

• Who Can Walk You From The Tinsmiths' Square To The Mellah? Our private walking tour, Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, the squares, the Mellah and the herbalist.

• Where Can You Buy A Real Handmade Lantern? Our private souks shopping tour, lanterns, leather, ceramics and spices from the artisans.

• Can You Find A Berber Rug To Go With Your Lantern? Our private rug shopping tour, weaving cooperatives, Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims.

• Can Your Family Explore The Squares With Its Own Guide? All our tours are private, one guide, one group, one truly personal experience.

• Can You Visit The Tinsmiths' Square With A Guide Today? Last-minute private tours, often within the hour.

Where is Place des Ferblantiers and how do you get there?

Address Place des Ferblantiers (Place Lakzadria), between the Mellah and the El Badi Palace, Medina, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco

Open Place Des Ferblantiers On Google Maps

From the Café de France on Jemaa el-Fna, take the street along the right side of the café, which locals call Kennaria. After about 200 meters, at the fork, keep right into Riad Zitoun el Jdid, or take Riad Zitoun Lakdim from the square, and walk south for about 800 meters. Both lanes lead toward the Bahia Palace and end near the square. Look for the arches, the palm trees and the sound of hammers. The walk takes about 15 minutes.

• How Do You Walk From Jemaa El-Fna To The Tinsmiths' Square? about 1 km, 15 minutes on foot

Phones often lose their way in Riad Zitoun. Read Why Does Google Maps Get Lost On The Way To The Mellah?

How far is the square from the monuments and souks?

Place des Ferblantiers is one of the best starting points for the south of the Medina. Each link opens the walking route on Google Maps.

• Place Des Ferblantiers To The El Badi Palace about 250 meters, 4 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Mellah about 150 meters, 2 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Lazama Synagogue about 500 meters, 7 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Bahia Palace about 300 meters, 4 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To Dar Si Said about 600 meters, 8 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Saadian Tombs about 900 meters, 12 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To Bab Agnaou about 1 km, 13 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Koutoubia about 1.2 km, 16 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To Rahba Kedima, The Spice Square about 1.6 km, 22 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To La Mamounia about 1.3 km, 17 minutes

• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Royal Mansour about 1.6 km, 21 minutes

Distances are approximate walking distances through the Medina.

Which riads are close to Place des Ferblantiers?

Many travelers stay in the riads of the Kasbah, the Bahia quarter and Riad Zitoun, a few minutes from the square. Each link opens the walking route from the riad to the square. We pick our guests up at their riad, wherever it is in the Medina.

• From Riad Melhoun In The Bahia Quarter about 5 minutes on foot

• From Riad Moulay In Riad Zitoun El Kedim about 8 minutes on foot

• From Riad Nesma Suites In Riad Zitoun Lakdim about 8 minutes on foot

• From Le Riad Monceau In Riad Zitoun Lakdim about 10 minutes on foot

• From Riad Dar Anika In Riad Zitoun Lakdim about 8 minutes on foot

• From Riad Badi In The Kasbah about 10 minutes on foot

• From Riad Villa Harmonie In The Kasbah about 10 minutes on foot

• From Riad Charme d'Orient In Ksibat N'Hass about 10 minutes on foot

• From Riad Alma In The Kasbah about 12 minutes on foot

Walking times are approximate and depend on the exact entrance of each riad.

What is the story of the tinsmiths' square?

Lakzadria comes from kazdir, tin in Darija, and the kzadri is the tinsmith. For generations, this square was where the Medina bought its tin-plate household goods, buckets, basins, oil lamps, funnels and the boxes used to carry food. The tinsmiths settled here at the gate of the Mellah, the Jewish quarter created next to the royal palace in the 16th century, where many skilled metalworkers and jewelers lived and worked. Over time, plastic replaced tin in the kitchens, and the craftsmen turned to lanterns, mirrors and decorative metalwork. The square was restored and made pedestrian, with palm trees and benches, and it became one of the most pleasant open spaces of the south Medina.

Discover the other great squares of the old city in Which Historical Squares And Fountains Shape The Medina?

What can you see and buy around the square?

• Lanterns brass, copper and iron lanterns, pierced by hand, from small candle holders to huge ceiling lights

• Mirrors and frames metal frames with geometric and floral patterns, sometimes with bone or colored glass

• Trays and teapots engraved brass trays and teapots for the mint tea ceremony

• Wrought iron small tables, candle stands and plant holders

• The herbalists of the Mellah right next to the square, the covered spice market of the Mellah with herbs, spices, henna, black soap and dried roses

• The storks of the El Badi Palace walls, nesting on the ruins every spring

• Café terraces around the square, for a mint tea with a view of the walls

Meet the metalworkers and other craftsmen in Who Are The Last Artisans Of The Marrakech Medina? and shop with a local on our Best Souks Shopping Tour For Lanterns And Metalwork

How do you choose a good handmade lantern?

• Look at the holes hand-punched patterns are slightly irregular, perfectly identical holes are often machine made

• Check the metal solid brass is heavy and golden, painted or plated metal is light and can scratch

• Check the solder joints should be clean and solid, with no sharp edges

• Ask about electricity many lanterns can be wired for your country, ask the craftsman before you buy

• Think about the trip home ask for good packing, and keep small lanterns in your hand luggage

Which squares and souks are near Place des Ferblantiers?

• The Mellah spice market just next to the square, herbs, spices and dried fruits

• Place Lalla Yeddouna and the Mellah lanes the heart of the old Jewish quarter, with its jewelers and fabric sellers

• The Kasbah the royal quarter, with Bab Agnaou and the Saadian Tombs

• Riad Zitoun Lakdim and Riad Zitoun el Jdid the two lanes back to Jemaa el-Fna, with small shops and riads

• Jemaa el-Fna the great square, about 15 minutes north

• Souk Semmarine the main souk, if you want to continue shopping. See What Can You Find In Souk Semmarine?

When is the best time to visit the square?

• Morning from about 9 am to 11 am, the workshops are working and the square is calm

• Late afternoon the light turns golden on the walls and the terraces fill up

• Spring the best season to see the storks on the El Badi walls

• Friday many workshops stop for a few hours around midday prayer

See What Time Do The Workshops And Souks Of Marrakech Open?

What are the best tips for visiting Place des Ferblantiers?

• Combine it with the Bahia Palace, the El Badi Palace and the Mellah, all within a few minutes

• Ask before photos of craftsmen at work, and accept a no with a smile

• Watch for motorbikes around the square, especially near the Mellah entrance

• Ignore street helpers people who say the Bahia or the Mellah is "closed today" usually want to lead you to a shop

• Bargain with a smile the first price for a lantern is an opening

• Go back another way return to Jemaa el-Fna through Riad Zitoun Lakdim. For a quiet loop through the north, see What Is The Secret Loop Of The Medina?

What Happens On A Real Tour With Us?

Traveler from the United Kingdom

"Our guide knows Marrakech inside and out."

What Do Our Guests Usually Ask On The Tour?

Family from Canada

"He explained the history in a way that kept our whole family engaged."

What Surprises Travelers Most On Our Walks?

Traveler from the United States

"Our guide's passion for the city really shows."

Our tours are rated 5 stars on Google. Read Our Google Reviews

Ready to discover the squares of the Medina with a local? Book On WhatsApp for a fast reply, or use our Booking Form.

Who Wrote This Guide?

This guide was written by the Local Team of Visit Marrakech Medina, Marrakchis who were born and raised in the Medina and have guided travelers through its squares, souks and derbs since 2004. Our Medina walk is featured in The Rough Guide to Morocco, and our guiding is recommended by Rick Steves. Everything here comes from what we see and hear on our tours every day.

Have a question about your trip, even if you don't book a tour? Ask Us On WhatsApp. We're happy to help travelers plan their days in Marrakech.

Found this guide useful? Save it for your trip or share it with a friend who's heading to Marrakech.

Writing about Marrakech? Feel free to link to this guide, or contact us for local insights and photos.

Visit Marrakech Medina is an independent local specialist resource dedicated to discovering and understanding the Marrakech Medina. Our Marrakchi team has been guiding visitors through the Medina since 2004. We share firsthand local knowledge of its traditional souks, streets and derbs, neighbourhoods, historic gates, squares, monuments, artisan workshops, traditional crafts, architecture and everyday life. Our guides explore the history, geography, traditions and authentic character of the Medina, providing detailed information about the places, people and activities that make Marrakech's old city unique.

This guide is part of our coverage of the historic squares and public spaces of Marrakech Medina.

Discover our full range of authentic Marrakech tours on our Visit Marrakech Medina homepage.