After Ain Allou the street passes under a gate and enters the Souq al-'Attarine, the Spice Market. This is the main passage in a major network of commercial streets at the heart of the old city, which include the Kissaria (see below). The street here is roofed over and the district is guarded at either end by gates which, in earlier eras, could be locked by guards at night. As per the market's name, the shops here were historically specialized in the sale of spices and medicines, but nowadays they sell a variety of items. In the 16th century there were an estimated 150-170 shops here according to the chroniclers Leo Africanus and Marmol Carvajal.
