Noailles district is known as the ´´belly of Marseille´´ for a good reason. If you want good food at a quarter of a normal restaurant price, head over to the Arab Quarter of this French port city. The smell of spices hangs heavy there and the sounds of unfamiliar tongues ring through its alleys of sumptuous Haussmannian buildings. You can hear the sing-song voices of Tunisian vegetable vendors calling out their wares or the soft undertones of some African accent asking for the price of fresh fish. Colours abound there: golden sunlight; blue skies; the mellow honey colour of the buildings; red, yellow, and greens of vegetables and fruits; glistening silver of fish scales; blushing pink of a lamb shank; flaky ochre of freshly baked bread; marigold orange of saffron, turmeric, and other spices; and lilac of lavender soaps. However, it is not the easiest place to stand, gawp, and take photos.
The ´´belly of Marseille´´
Noailles is the heart of Marseille´s food supply. It has some of the liveliest fresh produce markets, rows of spice shops, bakeries, Arab and African restaurants, and many seafood wholesalers. The area is riddled with different areas selling a variety of goods ranging from hardware to cooking utensils and here you leave Europe behind and imagine yourself strolling in Marrakech or Algiers. Needless to say, it is busy, crowded, and hectic. On my first day, I was so overwhelmed by its energy, sights, and sounds, that I simply stood rooted at one spot and gaped. My long German residency made me so used to quieter, and more sterile environments that I felt disoriented and made a complete nuisance of myself. I dropped my things, lost my way, had mini panic attacks, and got elbowed by people from all sides. The evening before I had read too much about Noailles online and not all the reports were savoury. Some claimed it to be dangerous and advised travelers to proceed with caution, while others spoke of its past.
History of Noailles
The past of this district can be traced back to the 17th century when a Capuchin medicant order established a convent here. They were soon turned out by Catherine de Médicis and their convent was declared a national property. Nothing of that order remains today except for the name of the famous marché des Capucins and the long, narrow Rue Longue des Capucins. This road links Noailles with adjoining Belsunce and Saint Charles districts and it is one of the most populated places in Marseille. Noailles itself was named after a road – Rue Noailles that was built in 1666. At that time, it was a neighbourhood for the city´s rich and famous and had many famous bourgeois residents including Lieutenant Jacques de Noailles, Lieutenant of the Galleys, and Representative of King Louis XIV. Trade and commerce grew around it in tightly packed districts and many grand hotels were built here. World-famous people stayed at Noailles including Gandhi and his two goats who were guests at one of its hotels. All that time, the neighbourhood kept expanding and in 1893, it got connected by tramline which serves as a metro station today. Things changed when owing to rising traffic congestion, rich merchants emigrated to rue Saint-Ferréol and the street became populous with arriving migrant families. Today, Noailles is best known for its 1956 food market called the marché des Capucins and a vibrant multicultural community.
Exploring a Moorish medina in France
Wandering around this district is like getting zapped into an Algerian or Tunisian medina. There is a timeless quality about it along with the accompanying chaos and grunge. Indeed, Noailles can be an acquired taste for many because the delightful lively markets come with the mountainous piles of garbage, big furry scampering rats, and whiffs of bad odour. Shady characters loiter at some corners and you should some parts of it after dark. However, it is the heart of good food and I decided to give Noailles another chance. So, the next day, I tightened my girdle, sharpened my bargaining claws, and set out to explore this boisterous, lively district to the fullest. I threaded past busy shoppers, avoided puddles and poop, took quick photos, smiled, chatted, shopped, and ate. I survived. After all, I am a Calcutta girl, born and bred in similar chaos. Noailles delighted me and I discovered old shops, excellent bakeries, and a delightful Mozambican restaurant, that became my favourite for the rest of my stay. In fact, after that visit, I came to Noailles every evening to get our dinner, which was either a Mozambican takeaway dinner or a platter of couscous from the famous La Goulette. Its alleys became well-known to me and often in the afternoons, I spent long hours at an outdoor bar with a glass of fragrant pastis, just watching the world go by. In the spring sunshine, the sumptuous buildings matched oddly with the frenetic traffic, and glimpses of the French colonial past fleeted in front of me: a bent old man in Fez, a lovely coal-black girl in a hijab, or a portly, mustachioed matron in black rushing home with bags of shopping on her head. Traveling is delightful, don´t you think, especially the ones that bring you back in time?
Things to do in Noailles
One of the city’s liveliest districts, Noailles is located in Marseille’s 1st arrondissement. It is quite close to the Old Port (Vieux Port) and is a great place to explore on foot. If you love shopping, then this will be your kind of place. For those interested in beautiful tableware, drop in at La boutique Jiji La palme d’or at 72, Rue d’Aubagne – Marseille 1e for colourful, woven baskets and hand-painted ceramic ware. Head over to 16, Rue d’Aubagne – Marseille 1e to La Maison Empereur, France’s oldest hardware store. From wooden toys to gardening items, it has everything including a cafe. Fortify yourself with a croissant and coffee before walking towards Capucins Market at 4, Rue des Récolettes – Marseille 1e. It is called the ´´belly of Marseille´´. Stock up on fruits, bread, preserves, whatever you fancy, or simply enjoy its colourful sights. Follow a trail of exotic scents and you will arrive at Saladin Épices du Monde boutique at Rue du Marché des Capucins – Marseille 1e. It is like an Aladin´s cave of exotic spices, fruit and flower teas, grains, and organic soaps. Don´t leave Noailles before indulging in a dish of couscous at La Goulette at 1 Rue Pavillon, 13001 Marseille. Order a bowl of couscous with vegetables and chickpeas along with your choice of chicken, lamb, spicy sausage (merguez), spicy meatballs (kefte), or even more vegetables and chickpeas. It is simply delicious. End the tiring walk with a glass of pastis at the rooftop of The Reformed at 125, La Canebière – Marseille 1e, or a little local bar like the Grand Bar Vacon near Rue Vacon. Craving for more food at the ´´belly of Marseille´´? Head over to Pizzeria Chez Sauveur at 10 Rue D’Aubagne, 13001 Marseille 1er for a traditional wood-fired pizza before buying a precious medicinal plant or two at the centuries-old Herboristerie du Père Blaize du Père Blaize on Rue Méolan. Now head back towards the Old Port and catch a gorgeous sunset with the gulls.
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