10 Best Shopping in Morocco

This riad turned art gallery and tearoom is filled with original artwork by owner Hassan Hajjaj who's known as Morocco's Andy Warhol. True to the artist's pop aesthetic, expect to find colorful portraits blending pop culture and the artist's own fashions. Smaller items include notebooks, posters, and upcycled lanterns made from sardine tins.

This gallery houses a permanent exhibit of Orientalist paintings, ornate inlaid furniture, and antique ceramics. There is a constantly changing program of exhibitions and works for sale by top-notch Moroccan artists and foreign painters living in the kingdom.

Exhibitions of contemporary art and sculpture from new and emerging Moroccan and international artists are on display here. In addition to their collections they host special events and art workshops.

This small modern gallery showcases up-and-coming contemporary Moroccan artists that lean toward graphic and urban styles.

Named after Orson Welles's film Othello, which was shot in town, this gallery exhibits the work of local and international artists as well as antiques. Look out for Scottish artist Caroline Fulton's work, which features indigenous Moroccan animals in rural and medina settings. It's closed Monday.

Danish collector Frederic Damgaard is credited with bringing the naïve art (works by artists without formal art training) of Essaouira to an international audience. His Galerie d'Art Damgaard, across from the clock tower, has well-curated displays of work by Essaouira painters and sculptors, and it's also a great place to pick up souvenir books on local art and culture.

At this small gallery, owners Dominique and Mohammed aim to create awareness of lesser-known Moroccan painters. There's a variety of styles, sizes, and prices from small watercolors to larger oil paintings and sculptural pieces. Credit cards are accepted.

This gallery has a mission to support up-and-coming artists from Morocco and abroad while also democratizing art through access to young and amateur collectors. 

This gallery has an interesting collection of works by young Moroccan artists, Moroccan masters, and the Orientalists.

Here's the best place to go for sculpture, both for quality and range of workmanship. Craftsman Larbi El Hare uses marble, limestone, and alabaster to create pieces of different sizes, some quite affordable. He also makes some of the best mint tea in town. The shop has been here awhile, so ask in the Grande Marché if you can't find it.