A walk nearby Riyad el Mezouar: Rahba Kadima

Nearby Riyad el Mezouar, The Rahba Kadima Square (or Place des Epices), is a fascinating, both colourful and fragrant, place.

The centre of the square is filled with ladies wearing djellabahs selling woven palm leaf baskets and bags and crocheted skullcaps.

On the north side of the square is the very popular Café des Epices where you can soak up the atmosphere and watch the world go by. A few shops along from the café are some carpet shops adorned with colourful rugs which make a beautiful visual effect.

But the main interest of the square – which is actually triangle shaped - is its perimeter made up of spice shops. You can find spices used in cooking: coriander, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, turmeric, paprika, saffron, coriander, pepper, aniseed, harissa. You will also find ras-el-hanout which is a blend of various common spices and sometimes nigella, galangal, rosebuds, lavender, ash or rowan berries, mace... Everyone has its own mixture.

Moreover, you will find “useful” things like indigo for dying fabric, sandalwood, stone alum which can be used as an aftershave. The spice shops are like a local pharmacy, they are herbalists but they also sell magic remedies…