Where can I watch artisans at work in Morocco?

My absolute first recommendation is Fes, which is the living heart of Moroccan craft. The medieval Chouara tanneries are the iconic sight — you stand on a leather-shop terrace looking down on the honeycomb of stone dye pits where men tread hides in natural colours exactly as they did 900 years ago (they hand you a sprig of mint for the smell, and you will need it). But Fes is far more than the tanneries: behind the souks you can watch zellige tile-cutters chipping geometric mosaics by hand, brass and copper beaters in the Seffarine square, and the famous blue Fassi pottery being thrown, painted and fired.

In Marrakech, the souks are organised by trade, which makes craft-spotting easy. Wander into the dyers’ souk (Souk Sebbaghine) where skeins of wool hang dripping in jewel colours, the blacksmiths’ and lantern-makers’ alleys where sparks fly, and the leather and babouche-slipper workshops. The restored Ensemble Artisanal near the Koutoubia is a calmer, fixed-price place to watch weavers, carvers and metalworkers without the souk hustle — good if you find the medina overwhelming.

Beyond the big cities, go to the source. Safi on the Atlantic coast is Morocco’s pottery capital, with hillside kilns and workshops producing the distinctive green-glazed and painted ceramics; you can watch the whole process. Carpet weaving is best seen in Middle Atlas towns and Berber villages — around Khenifra, Midelt and the Ait Bougmez valley women weave on upright looms, and a cooperative visit lets you see the knotting and natural dyeing first-hand. The silver and Berber jewellery tradition is centred on Tiznit and Tahanaout in the south.

My honest tip: many “workshop visits” in tourist areas end in a hard sell, so go with a trusted guide or to a recognised cooperative where the artisans are paid fairly and the visit is genuine. The argan-oil women’s cooperatives on the road to Essaouira are a lovely example — you watch them crack and grind the nuts by hand and the money goes to the women directly. Buying something is appreciated but never pressured at the good ones, and watching a master craft something you then take home is one of the most meaningful souvenirs of all.