| The souk (street market) is a common sight in Marrakech, Morocco, where trade has flourished since the city was founded in 1062. In this souk, carpet merchants display their wares from the rooftops and facades of buildings. Carpet-weaving is a traditional Moroccan craft; a single carpet, made of heavy, hand-spun wool, can take several months to complete. The market for these textiles is such that, in the early 1990s, the annual production of rugs and carpets in Morocco totaled about 1.2 million sq m (1.4 million sq yd). |