Rahba Kedima (Spice Square)

About this place

**Historic Description:** Rahba Kedima, also known as the Old Square or Spice Square, has served as a commercial and social hub within the Marrakech souks for centuries. Located at a strategic junction in the northern medina, this open square has historically functioned as a marketplace where caravans from the Sahara and Atlas Mountains unloaded their goods before distribution to the wider souk network. The square takes its name from its role as a former slave market and public auction space — "rahba" meaning a wide open space or esplanade. For generations, it has been the center of the spice trade in Marrakech, where merchants from across Morocco display pyramids of cumin, turmeric, saffron, dried roses, and the complex spice blend known as ras el hanout in woven baskets. The square is also famous for its basket and hat vendors, with colorful woven goods stacked high around its perimeter. Surrounded by fondouks (caravanserais) that once provided lodging and stabling for traveling merchants, Rahba Kedima preserves the atmosphere of a medieval commercial clearing house where the aromas, colors, and sounds of Moroccan trade have changed remarkably little over the centuries.