Souq - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A souq in Marrakech, Morocco

A souq or souk (also spelled soq, souk, esouk, suk, sooq, souq, or suq) is an open-air marketplace or commercial quarter in an Arab, or Berber city. A souk or souq is a free market where vendors can say the going market price for their products. The term is often used for the market in any Arab or Muslim city. In modern times, it appears in Western cities, too. It may also be the weekly market in some smaller towns where no tribal conflicts would be allowed. The word "souq" comes from the Aramaic word šūqā, which means "street, market". This Aramaic word was then taken in Arabic. The Arabic word sūq was then borrowed into English via French by the 19th century.