Gallery Kasbah — Attraction in Essaouira

One of the hardest things in Morocco is getting over the fear of exploring and studying and looking at things because of the worry that the owner of whatever shop or gallery you're examining will harass you endlessly to either make a purchase of leave. Over the course of a few days in Essaouira this fear kept me from exploring the Gallery Kasbah. It was only on the last of four days while waiting for a bus back to Marrakesh that I actually went inside.

This place is unlike no other shop and it's a shame it took four days to figure that out. Foremost, there's no harassment at all, I got the chance to fully explore the four floors of goods as well as visit the terrace on top that gives an unprecedented view of the city. Secondly, the goods that have are as remarkable as the space, hundreds and hundreds of contemporary art works as well as antique wares ranging from throne-like chairs to art deco paintings. It's a must see for anyone in town, if not for the fifth story terrace (one of the taller spots in Essaouira) than for the ability to get to deeply analyze Moroccan art without worry of having it pushed on you.

The owner is a...

I ordered a number of antique items from the gallery spending c£2000. The gallery shipped the items on time as promised, however they didn’t insure the items, as they were supposed to and they arrived broken. I contact the gallery on receipt and sent it photos of the damage. Initially the galley said it would help me find replacements, however after a number of months went by, they never sent me any options and have refused to either refund or replace the items.

Whilst the shop and items are lovely, beware of buying anything from here, particularly if you are importing goods overseas as they will happily leave you out of pocket if there is an issue, such as damage...

Went to the gallery with my Moroccan friend. No hello, no goodbye. One of the owners (glasses, tall) sneaked up behind us and watched us the whole time. Like we were suspicious to him. Looked at us just seriously.

No good vibe at all, we just wanted to look at art!

Three older french people, looking like money, walked in an were treated completely different...

EDIT: Your response says it all. We we were amazed by the art, behaving respectfully, being quite. We didn't make any "gestures", that you can't even clarify. Art should be accessible to everyone, not only the people you think are worth it....