Souk Sebbaghine Shopping
Where can you see the traditional dyers at work in the Marrakech souks?
Souk Sebbaghine, also written Sabbaghine and known as the Souk des Teinturiers, is the dyers' souk of Marrakech, where skeins of wool and cotton in indigo, saffron yellow, poppy red and mint green hang drying above the lane. It sits in the west of the souks, near the Mouassine fountain and Le Jardin Secret, about 900 meters from Jemaa el-Fna. Here the dyers still dip wool for rugs and threads for scarves in big vats, their arms stained with color, while small shops sell the scarves and textiles made from them. It's one of the most photographed souks of the Medina and one of the most authentic. Our Private Medina Walking Tour stops at the dyers on the way through the souks, and our Private Souks Shopping Tour takes you to the weavers and textile makers we trust.
Our private tours, every day at 9 am or 2 pm, about 3 hours, with pickup at your riad.
Included a relaxing stop with a bottle of mineral water, a cup of mint tea and a small souvenir, all complimentary.
See prices and details on our Private Souks Shopping Tour page.
Message Us On WhatsApp or use our Booking Form.
You know you've reached Souk Sebbaghine before you see it. The ground turns blue and red under your feet, drops fall from the skeins above your head, and the air smells of wet wool. Then you look up. Ropes stretched from wall to wall, heavy with wool in every color, glowing in the sunlight that falls between the roofs. Our guests often stop in silence here. It's the moment many of them say they finally understood how the colors of a Berber rug are born.
Visit Marrakech Medina, The Best Shopping and Walking Tour Company in Marrakech, has guided travelers through the souks 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 Show You The Real Dyers And Weavers? Our private souks shopping tour, scarves, textiles, leather, lanterns and spices from the artisans.
• Can You Visit The Dyers' Souk With No Shopping Pressure? Our private walking tour, Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, the Mellah, the fondouks and the herbalist.
• Where Does The Dyed Wool Become A Berber Rug? Our private rug shopping tour, weaving cooperatives, Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims.
• Can Your Family Discover The Souks With Its Own Guide? All our tours are private, one guide, one group, one truly personal experience.
• Can You See The Dyers With A Guide Today? Last-minute private tours, often within the hour.
Where is Souk Sebbaghine and how do you get there?
Address Souk Sebbaghine (Souk des Teinturiers), near the Mouassine fountain, Medina, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
Open Souk Sebbaghine On Google Maps
From the Café de France on Jemaa el-Fna, walk into Souk Semmarine and follow the main covered lane north, past Rahba Kedima, into Souk El Attarine. At the lantern shops, bear left toward Mouassine. When the ground starts to turn blue and red and you see wool hanging overhead, you're in the dyers' souk. The walk takes about 12 to 15 minutes. Another easy way is to walk to the Mouassine fountain and follow the lane of the dyers from there.
• How Do You Walk From Jemaa El-Fna To The Dyers' Souk? about 900 meters, 12 to 15 minutes on foot
The lanes around Mouassine confuse phones. Read Why Does Google Maps Get Lost Near The Dyers' Souk?
How far is Souk Sebbaghine from the other souks and monuments?
The dyers' souk sits between the main souks and the Mouassine quarter. Each link opens the walking route on Google Maps.
• Souk Sebbaghine To The Mouassine Fountain about 100 meters, 2 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To Le Jardin Secret about 200 meters, 3 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To Souk El Attarine about 250 meters, 4 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To Souk Smata, The Babouche Souk about 300 meters, 4 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To Souk Cherratine, The Leather Souk about 350 meters, 5 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To Rahba Kedima, The Spice Square about 400 meters, 6 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To Dar El Bacha about 450 meters, 6 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To The Ben Youssef Madrasa about 500 meters, 7 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To The Koutoubia about 1 km, 14 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To The Bahia Palace about 1.6 km, 22 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To La Mamounia about 1.6 km, 22 minutes
• Souk Sebbaghine To The Royal Mansour about 1.4 km, 19 minutes
Distances are approximate walking distances through the souks. Staying in a riad in Mouassine, near Bab Doukkala or Dar El Bacha? You're usually 5 to 10 minutes away on foot.
Which souks are near Souk Sebbaghine?
Looking for souks near me from a riad in Mouassine? Around the dyers, you'll find some of the best craft souks of Marrakech, all within a few minutes on foot.
• Souk El Attarine the old spice and perfume souk, today brass lanterns, trays, teapots, musk and amber
• Souk Smata the babouche souk, leather slippers and the leather belts that gave it its name
• Souk Cherratine the leather souk, bags, poufs and fantasia saddles
• Souk Haddadine the blacksmiths, wrought iron lanterns and gates
• Rahba Kedima the spice square, herbalists, baskets and straw hats
• Criée Berbère and Souk des Tapis the rug souk, where much of the dyed wool ends up woven into Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims
• Souk Semmarine the main souk back to Jemaa el-Fna. See What Can You Find In Souk Semmarine?
So whenever you search for souks near me around Mouassine or Le Jardin Secret, the dyers' souk is your starting point. The brass, babouche and leather souks are all within a 5-minute walk.
What does the name Sebbaghine mean?
Sebbaghine, also written Sabbaghine, comes from sabbagh, the dyer, so Souk Sebbaghine simply means the souk of the dyers. The French name, Souk des Teinturiers, means the same thing. For centuries, the dyers of Marrakech settled here, in the old quarter of Mouassine, close to water, which they need in large amounts, and close to the weavers, rug makers and merchants who buy their colored wool. Many dyers learned the trade from their fathers, and you can still recognize them by their arms, stained blue or red up to the elbow.
How do the dyers color the wool?
• Washing the raw wool, from Atlas sheep, is washed and spun into skeins
• Dyeing the skeins are plunged into big vats of hot dye and turned by hand
• Fixing a mordant, often alum, helps the color hold in the fiber
• Drying the wet skeins are hung on ropes above the lane, where sun and air dry them in a few hours
• Selling the dry wool goes to weavers, rug makers and textile workshops across the Medina
Natural and synthetic colors
Traditional colors came from plants and minerals, indigo for blue, saffron for yellow, poppy and cochineal for red, henna for orange, pomegranate rind for brown and darker tones. Today, many dyers also use synthetic colors, which are cheaper and more regular. Natural dyes give soft, slightly uneven tones across one skein, synthetic dyes give very bright and uniform colors. Both are part of the souk today, so if natural dye matters to you, ask the seller.
For the full story of the craft, read How Does The Dyers' Work In Marrakech Really Happen?
What can you buy in Souk Sebbaghine?
• Dyed wool skeins of wool for knitting, weaving or decoration
• Scarves and shawls cotton, wool and so-called cactus silk scarves, often dyed right next door
• Cactus silk a shiny thread often sold as made from agave fiber, used for scarves, cushions and tassels
• Cushion covers woven and embroidered cushions in natural and bright colors
• Blankets and throws handwoven pieces from the textile workshops of Mouassine
• Tassels and pompoms colorful decorations for bags, keys and home
• Small rugs and kilims in nearby shops, woven with the same dyed wool
For rugs, see Where Can You Buy A Rug Woven From Dyed Atlas Wool?
How do you spot quality textiles in the dyers' souk?
• The rub test rub a damp white tissue on the color, a little color is normal on new wool, a lot means it will bleed in the wash
• The feel real wool feels warm and slightly rough, acrylic feels smooth and squeaky
• Cactus silk much of what is sold as cactus silk is viscose or rayon, buy it because you love it, not for the label
• The weave handwoven scarves show small irregularities, machine-made ones are perfectly even
• Washing ask how to wash it, most hand-dyed pieces need cold water and gentle hand washing the first times
On our Best Souks Shopping Tour For Scarves And Textiles, we take you to the weavers and textile makers we trust, and help you check every piece.
When is the best time to visit Souk Sebbaghine?
• Morning from about 9 am to noon, the dyers are busiest, the vats are steaming and fresh skeins go up on the ropes
• Sunny days the colors glow best when the light falls between the roofs, perfect for photos
• Afternoon calmer, with fewer dyers at work but more time to browse the textile shops
• Friday many workshops close for a few hours around midday prayer
See What Time Do The Souks Of Marrakech Open?
What are the best tips for visiting the dyers' souk?
• Wear old shoes the ground is often wet and stained with dye
• Watch your clothes drops can fall from the wet skeins above, avoid standing right under them
• Ask before photos the dyers are working, ask first and accept a no with a smile
• No ticket needed the souk is a public lane, anyone who says you need an "official guide" to enter is not telling the truth
• Ignore street helpers young men who offer to take you to "the dyers' terrace" usually lead you to a shop
• Combine it with the Mouassine fountain, Le Jardin Secret and Souk El Attarine, all a few minutes away
• Find your way back walk back through Souk El Attarine and Souk Semmarine to Jemaa el-Fna. See How Do You Loop Back From The Dyers To The Square?
Meet more of the Medina's craftsmen in Who Are The Last Artisans Of The Marrakech Souks?
What Happens On A Real Tour With Us?
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"Our guide's walking tour was the highlight of our Marrakech trip."
What Do Our Guests Usually Ask On The Tour?
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"Our guide tailored everything to our interests."
What Surprises Travelers Most On Our Walks?
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"He explained the history in a way that kept our whole family engaged."
Our tours are rated 5 stars on Google. Read Our Google Reviews
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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 the souks 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.
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Visit Marrakech Medina is a specialist local resource for discovering the traditional souks, shopping streets, artisans and crafts of the Marrakech Medina, and the authentic shopping experiences they offer, backed by more than 20 years of local guiding experience.