The Sewer Cleaners Of Marrakech

Can you moonlight as a sewer cleaner?  In Marrakech, yes.  Well, you can if you are familiar with the labyrinthine sewer system and know where to enter and exit those pipes.  Sewer fixers keep the city clean by clearing the subterranean canals of blockages and obstructions, some of which, frankly would shock you.  Their only tools are a simple iron file, some connecting rods, strength and dexterity.  These urban plumbers unclog the pipes and drain off the waste, thus delivering Marrakech from certain sickening odours.  A small but indispensable trade!

A Load of Cobblers...

Out in the middle of the little alleys of Marrakech, you come across cobblers' workshops, really just simple iron crates on wheels, shaded all year round by umbrellas.

A pile of mismatched footwear at his side, the shoe artisan taps, nails and glues with finesse.  Boots, espadrilles, moccasins - no matter the brand, the quality, the state of the shoes or the time it takes - the cobbler repairs each item to the fullest satisfaction of the customer.  Late into the night, the noise of little hammers echo throughout the neighbourhood.

These hard working cobblers are never entrusted with tourist's shoes.  And yet, what skill!  With a little thread, some nails and a dab of glue, plain shoes are totally revamped; its the miracle of the red city cobblers.  They'll never start you off on the wrong foot!

Sacred Plant and Herb Peddlers

In Morocco, like in much of the Eastern world, smoke rituals are integral to certain ceremonies.  Plants are left to smoulder slowly, like incense, on the occasion of a birth, circumcision or wedding night.  A smoke ritual is an offering to God that he might bless the happy event, or to the spirits, whose good graces one is aiming to secure.  Smoke rituals are also meant to protect a house and its inhabitants from evil beings - the jealous djinn always ready to stir up a little chaos.

Infertility, loss of sex drive, impotence, the reconciliation of estranged lovers - it is all a matter of bewitching and unbewitching, and the women are always quick to fill the air with smoke from just the right herb.  It's clear why suppliers of plants and herbs for smoke rituals are so common here - their goods are essential when confronting the powers of the spirit world.