Marché Central

The Marché Central is a covered market hall on Rue Chaouia, near Boulevard Mohammed V in downtown Casablanca, Morocco. Built in the 1920s in the French colonial Art Deco and Mauresque style, it is the city's main fresh food market and a favourite with residents and chefs. Inside, stalls are arranged in rows selling fish and seafood, meat, fruit, vegetables, olives, spices, cheeses, bread and flowers. The fish counters are the most striking, with the day's catch from the Atlantic laid out on ice, including sardines, sea bream, prawns, calamari and swordfish. Small restaurants and grills inside and around the market will cook fish bought at the stalls, or serve the daily catch grilled with salad and bread, which is a popular and inexpensive lunch. A visit takes about an hour, longer with a meal. The market is open daily from about 7am to 7pm, although the fish counters wind down in the afternoon, so mornings are the best time to see the full range and the liveliest atmosphere. The best photographs are of the colourful fruit and spice displays and the fish counters in the morning light. The market is busiest on Saturday mornings, with locals shopping for the weekend, and quietest in the late afternoon. Visitors should bring small dirham notes, expect to negotiate on some items, and be careful with phones and wallets in the crowds. The market is a five-minute walk from Place Mohammed V, making it easy to combine with an Art Deco walking circuit of downtown.