Rabat's medina souks are smaller and less pressured than Fez or Marrakech. The main souk street runs between the medina's eastern gate (Bab Chellah) and the kasbah. Good for carpets, leather goods, and traditional clothing. The Ensemble Artisanal on Rue Sidi Fatah in the Ville Nouvelle is a government-run craft centre with fixed prices — useful for comparison shopping before buying in the souks.
For contemporary Moroccan art, Bab Rouah — the Almohad gate near the Royal Palace — runs rotating gallery shows. Free entry. The Livre Service bookshop on Avenue Allal Ben Abdallah is the best multilingual bookshop in the city.